The Resurrection
by Animiga
Summary: Post The Assault. With Adam and Sanctuary gone, the members of Mutant X struggle to orient themselves and figure out their next step. But when a solution presents itself, it may be too much for any of them to handle, especially Jesse. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** The Resurrection  
**Author:** Animiga  
**Rating:** PG-13, just to be safe.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own any part of Mutant X. At All. I'm just playing with the characters. All rights belong to whoever _did_ create them.  
**Spoilers: **Just about everything.**  
Archive: **Sure, but please ask me first  
**AN: **Please read and review! This is my first story. I'm going to continue regardless, but I'd like to know what people think.  
**Summary: **Post "The Assault." With Adam and Sanctuary gone, the members of Mutant X struggle to orient themselves and figure out their next step. But when a solution presents itself, it may be too much for any of them to handle, especially Jesse.  
  
**Chapter 1 **

"Where the_ hell_ do we go now?"

Lexa's response to Jesse's question was immediate and intense. "We need to find Adam. I mean, everybody here except Jesse is living under a death sentence."

"But Sanctuary's gone, the Helix is gone, the d-, the dominion…"

Brennan stopped her from further voicing the doubts that they all felt. "No, no. They think they've won; it's not over yet."

An explosion sounded behind them. They all turned, watching for any hazards coming their way. Each of them knew, in their own way, that tonight's events would prove to be a crucial turning point in the fight to save mutants. They question was, Which direction did it turn the battle.

"It will be if we don't move," Jesse said, awakening them from their reflection. "Come on."

The four powerful mutants dashed away from the flaming building, knowing what they had to do, but not knowing how they were going to do it.

After more than an hour of running and walking, they arrived at a remote gas station, located off an even more remote highway. The journey had been mostly silent. Until Shalimar had spotted the station and mentioned it, the only sounds made were by Jesse or Brennan, who would wince if their wounds were unexpectedly jostled, and then shrug off the concerns of the others.

Instinctively, the four approached the brightly lit telephone booth on the edge of the grounds. Brennan paused. He gave a half chuckle. "Who the hell are we going to call? We don't exactly have backup here. In fact, _we're_ usually the back up for each other. Usually someone's back at Sanctuary. Maybe if we'd left someone there when we went to find Adam, we'd have a place to go right now." His voice was escalating with each sentence.

Lexa, whose own mind was shouting similar things, looked around plaintively, searching her mind rather than the landscape. She was silent. She had no idea what to do. All her contacts outside of Mutant X were part of the Dominion. But given that the agency had assassinated a potential informant, tortured Jesse, kidnapped Adam and tried to kill all of them, she didn't know if she could trust any of them.

Shalimar, too, felt disconnected. Adam was gone, so soon after they had found him again. There was no plan, no place for her to focus her feral energy. She glanced up at Brennan's face. "There's nothing we can do now. Even if we had left someone behind, they would have had to run when the Dominion attacked. We're lucky we're all here and alive." Though she had meant here voice to be soothing, it came out harsh and grated.

Jesse had been silent during the exchange, staring at his feet and cradling his right hand, which he was pretty sure was going to be a mass of black and purple bruises in a few hours. His mind was racing, ideas and thoughts coursing through his consciousness, but he couldn't grasp onto anything. Finally, though, he did, and looked up at the shouting elemental. "Brennan, do you have your wallet?"

Brennan halted mid tirade and blinked. "Yeah, why?"

"Hand it over."

Brennan did so, not questioning the teammate he had come to see as a younger brother, but trying to figure out what he was thinking. "There's no cash in there, at least, not enough for a cab. Even if there was, where would we go?"

Jesse didn't answer. He had managed to grab onto an idea. He didn't want to respond for fear that it would break his concentration and the idea would get away. Pulling a card from Brennan's wallet he approached the phone and punched a series of numbers. The others followed and watched as Jesse punched more numbers, paused, and then several more. Finally he spoke: "Mike, it's Jesse. Yeah, yeah, but we need some help…" Jesse glanced around, searching, finally found what he was looking for, then spoke into the phone. "310-655-4598. Yeah. Use the computer's GSP12 program…ok, see you soon."

Jesse hung the phone back on its cradle, then tucked the card back into Brennan's wallet and handed it back to him. Before the other man could grasp it, however, Shalimar intercepted the small leather item. She withdrew the card that Jesse had put back, stared at it, then let loose a small gasp. "The Safehouse Codes…" she said softly.

Jesse nodded, but Lexa and Brennan looked at the two blondes, confused. Brennan took the card from Shalimar's hand. "The Safehouse Codes?" he repeated. On the back of the card was a phone number, a date and a time.

"When Adam first created the safehouses, each one had phones installed that acted normally, but could become secure lines, completely off the phone company's grids when the proper series of codes were used. Members of Mutant X were the only ones with access to those codes. The codes are written like that so that if anyone ever finds them, they just look like notes for an appointment or something."

Brennan looked from Shalimar to Jesse. "But how did I get them? I don't remember anything about those phones."

Now that he didn't have to focus so hard on what he was doing, Jesse felt relaxed enough to talk to Brennan. "When you were first made a member, I gave you the card and told you to keep it with you for emergency communications. I saw you put it in your wallet. But then we stopped using them right about the time you came on board, switching to a system that used random satellite disruption, kind of like our comm. rings. I took my set of codes out of my wallet a long time ago, but I know that you never clean out your wallet." He paused to shrug. "I guessed you'd still have them, and I was right."

"Oh." Brennan nodded, acting like he remembered. "So, who'd you call?"

"Mike Robson, the canine feral from the circus. He and his wife are still at Safehouse 13. I gave him number off this phone. He'll use map program to find and get us."

Lexa studied Jesse. His eyes were falling shut. She didn't know if the others had noticed yet, but he was also slurring his words a bit, deviating from his normally crisp, enunciated speech pattern. She moved to take a step forward, wanting to touch him, to reassure herself that he was safe and well, but was distracted by a huge sigh let loose by Brennan.

"Well," he said, glancing from Jesse to Shalimar to Lexa. "That solves problem number one. Twenty-seven million to go, right?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Lexa straightened in the front seat of the navy blue SUV as the car approached the city limits. They'd waited 3 hours for Mike to arrive.  The dominion location had been well outside the city limits, in the barren flatlands that marked the border between this state and the next.  While the distance could have been traveled in only 15 minutes in the Helix, by car, the journey was much longer.

She twisted in her seat to look at the others.  Shalimar and Brennan were curled into each other, while Jesse sat slumped over on the far side, his head leaning on the window as he slept.  He had fallen asleep less than an hour after making the call to Mike.  Shalimar had been worried, noticing for the first time the bruises and blood on Jesse's hands and face.  Lexa had explained the events of the day, including Jesse's torture session.  She'd never seen the device they'd used on Jesse before, she recounted, but guessed that it was an electromagnetic device of some kind used to inflict pain on and drain the energy of the victim. He just needed to let his body recover.  She'd kept her emotion in check, and out of her voice, not quite ready to let the others see how unnerved the events had made her.

She watched Jesse a moment longer, then turned back in her seat.  She shifted restlessly.  Though she was tired, she couldn't sleep.

"Are you OK?" Mike's voice came from the driver's seat.  He had been driving silently, respecting the exhaustion and solemn expressions of the mutants he had come to rescue.

"Yeah.  I'm fine."

"Are you sure?  Anything I can do?"

Lexa shot him a look to warn him off, but it must not have been as strong as she thought, because Mike scoffed, lifting one hand off the steering wheel in a gesture of mock defense.

"I'm a canine feral.  Just like dogs, I can tell when people are really emotional.  Your emotions are getting to me."

"Well, I'm sorry, I guess.  A lot of stuff's happened, and I don't know what's going to happen next.  It makes me a little nervous."

Mike nodded in sympathy as he turned through an interchange.  "I know how you feel, after I left the circus I felt that way.  Then after you guys saved my wife and she came back I felt that way again.  All I can say is that you'll come up with something, and then you'll have direction again.  In the meantime, you feel completely lost, and all you can do is wait it out."

Lexa nodded and the car fell silent again.

Twenty minutes later Mike and Lexa were helping a sleepy Jesse into the safehouse, Brennan and Shalimar walking behind.  Mike went to a side table to return the car keys and re engage the security system.  Lexa half pushed a stumbling Jesse to the nearby couch, where he promptly settled in to sleep.

"Donna's set up some of the rooms and put some clean towels out.  I think you can leave him there, though," he said with a nod to Jesse.  "Doesn't look like he's gonna go anywhere.  There's a first aid kit in the closet there.  Do you guys need anything else?"

Shalimar shook her head.  "Just to rest.  We'll have to figure things out in the morning.  Right now, none of us are thinking very well."

Mike nodded, said goodnight, and went downstairs.  Like most safehouses, much of the space was underground, to conceal its true size and capacity.

Shalimar retrieved the first aid kit from the closet and sat on the arm of the chair that Brennan had lowered himself into. "You okay?" she whispered.

Brennan reached for her hand.  "Yeah. You?"

"Not really.  I'm still having trouble with the idea of Adam being a clone."

"We'll figure everything out tomorrow.  Right now, though, you want to get this bullet out of my shoulder?"

She squeezed his hand, then got to work, pulling his clothing away from the wound.  "Looks like the bullet went all the way through.  I'll put a bandage on it, but I think Jesse should take a look at it in the morning.  As much as he says he hates the medbay, he knows a lot about medical stuff."

Brennan glanced over at Jesse.  While young molecular slept Lexa was gingerly applying an antiseptic to the cuts on his face and hands.  "Yeah…you know, I think Lexa cares about him more than she lets on."  He drew Shalimar's attention to Lexa and Jesse.

"I think she does too, but it's going to take some time.  She knows she has him, and us, for family now, but I don't think she's quite sure how to deal with it.  I don't know what she's going to do now that the Dominion's turned on her.  I just hope she doesn't hurt Jesse.  There, all done."

Brennan glanced at her work.  "I think Jesse'll be fine.  He's tougher than he looks.  Come on.  Let's get clean and hit the sack."

**AN:**  Thank you all for your reviews!  I've got more of the story done, and the whole story outlined, and I'll be trying to get a chapter up per day…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

Lexa opened her eyes, only to squeeze them shut again when she found bright sunlight flooding her room. Groaning, she reached for her timepiece, which had been left on the bedside table the night before. Terrific, she thought. 7AM. Only four hours of sleep. Despite the early hour she tossed back the covers, knowing she'd never get back to sleep with all the sunlight in the room. That's what I get, she thought, pulling on her clothes from the night before, for being the last one to go to bed. The only room in the house that faces east. She had spent more than an hour the night before, just watching Jesse sleep, watching for any signs of pain. Exhaustion had finally gotten the better of her, though, and she had sought out a bed.

After splashing water on her face to remove the last remnants of sleep, a shoe-less Lexa padded down the hall to the front rooms, hoping to find someone else awake. As luck would have it, there was.

Jesse was hunched over the only computer in the house, located in the far corner of the living room. For once, he had both hands on the keyboard, and was typing furiously. Lexa was surprised to him awake. Given his nocturnal habits and his injuries, she would have thought he'd sleep much later.

Lexa placed a hand on his shoulder. "What are you doing up so early?"

He started. "The sunlight woke me up. I'm not used to it, given all the time I spend in Sanctuary. If I ever _did_ go out, it was usually after dark. The sunlight practically blinded me."

"I know what you mean. Same thing happened to me. How are you feeling?"

Jesse finally glanced up, but only for a moment before returning to the screen. "Absolutely fine. Not even sore. Seems my brain is back in order, too. I've got some ideas for what we can do next, but I'm not sure if they'll pan out. I'm researching them right now. I was going to go over them when everybody got up."

"How long have you been up?"

"About an hour, I think."

"Hmm. Well, I still can't think. It's way too early. I'm going to see if I can scrounge up some coffee. Want any?"

There was no response.

"O..K.." Lexa turned to the kitchen, leaving Jesse furrowing his brow at the computer. He was in his 'pit bull' mode now. He'd come up for air when he was ready.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later Brennan walked into the kitchen, yawning and scratching his stomach. Shalimar was right behind him, holding on to his shirt, letting him drag her into the kitchen.

"I woke up and smelled coffee. Figured I'd slept long enough and it was time to start the day," he said.

Lexa and Shalimar glared at him. In a strange karmic twist, Brennan was the member of Mutant X closest to being a morning person. 

Brennan ignored their looks. "I saw Jess out there." He poured himself and Shalimar cups of coffee. "Let's go see what we can come up with."

"How's your shoulder," Lexa asked as they strode into the living room, her third cup of coffee in her hand.

Brennan lowered himself into the same chair he'd sat in last night. "It'll be fine. Be sore for a while, though."

"Anyone got any ideas about what to do next?"

Well, Shal…. I _do _know that we can't go back to Sanctuary. At least for a month or so. It'll take that long for the contaminants from the reactor I fried to clear out. _That _much I remember about my first days at Sanctuary."

"What about the place where you guys found Adam? Can we get anything out of that?"

"No, the Dominion probably combed through that place when they captured Jesse there."

"Speaking of Adam, Lexa, do you have any idea where they might have taken him?"

"No clue. I only knew about a couple of dominion facilities, but one was the one that blew up last night and the other was shut down a few months ago. Most of my contacts were made in pubic places or over the computer."

"Do you think you can find out anything from here? I mean, is the Dominion gone completely? What kind of resources do they have?"

Lexa sighed. "I really don't know anything anymore. If Adam was right, and there is corruption inside the Dominion, I don't know who even is in charge. Not that I knew before, mind you. I wouldn't even know who to trust."

"Is there anyway you can get information from your non-dominion contacts?"

"Maybe. But I need access to a computer, and Jesse's monopolized this one. Hey Jess – where are there any more computers around here? Is there any other communication equipment?

"No."

The others all turned to stare at Jesse when they heard his soft whisper. Jesse was still staring at the computer screen, but his fingers had stilled over the keyboard. He wasn't completely motionless though; his eyes were blinking slowly and he was tilting his head as if confused.

"Hey, Jess," Brennan voiced, unable to see Jesse's facial expression. "Are you sure, man? I thought all the safehouses had all kinds of comm. equipment."

"What?" Jesse's trance-like fixation on the computer finally broke and he glanced over his shoulder at Brennan. "Oh, um…yeah, there should be another terminal downstairs somewhere. It should be working."

"What do you mean should? Would they have been shut down for some reason?"

"Um, I don't know." Jesse's attention was back on the computer screen. He used his index finger to trace a line of code, then resumed his ministrations of the keyboard.

"Hey, Jesse, come on…" Shalimar tried to get his attention. "Do you know if the computer is still connected to Sanctuary's network?"

Suddenly there was a loud screeching sound as Jesse jumped up from his chair, causing it to scrape across the wooden floor. "I _don't_ know!" he said sternly. "Just go downstairs! I'm sure if it's broken that Lexa or any of you could fix it."

Brennan stood up, slowly but intentionally putting his body between Jesse and Shalimar. "Are you OK, man? She was just asking a question."

Jesse huffed, turned around, and paced, rubbing his forehead and combing his fingers through his hair. When he returned to the site of his outburst, he let out a breath. "I'm sorry, guys. It's just that I've almost got a handle on something, and, well, you guys are being a bit, um…distracting. Could you guys just please all go downstairs?"

"OK, but is there anything we can do to help?" Shalimar's voice remained soft, testament to her shock at seeing her young brother uncharacteristically agitated.

"No, no. But if I'm on to what I think I'm onto, Adam had plans in case something like this happened. I should have some more details in about, oh…a couple of hours?"

"OK." Brennan was already leading the way to the stairs. "We'll meet you back here in three hours?"

Shalimar was reluctant. She wanted to know why Jesse was acting so strange. Brennan tugged on her arm. "Come on…he just needs some time," he whispered in her ear.

Jesse watched the others disappear into the hallway. He took a deep breath and let it out to steady himself. Turning, he went back to the computer. If this file turned out to be what he thought it was, a large part of their problem would be solved. But it also meant that there was trouble ahead.

* * *

AN: I know, I know…no real secrets given out here, but they're coming. Thanks again for all the reviews. They're like warm fuzzies ;-)


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Sorry this chapter is so short, but I had to in order to make the story flow right. Some reviewers (thank you!) have expressed concern about Jesse's strange behavior – but all will be explained [eventually ;-)]. As far as Jesse checking out Brennan's shoulder – whoops. Let's just say that Brennan decided against it in the morning. 

* * *

Chapter 4 

Jesse was still staring at the computer three and a half hours later. He still didn't quite believe what he had found, but knowing Adam and his peculiarities, it did make sense, in a convoluted way.

He heard steps emanating from the hallway. The others were finally back from the room downstairs. They hadn't come back immediately, so he assumed that they had found what they needed.

When Shalimar, Brennan and Lexa entered the room, they found Jesse in mid-stretch. He had been sitting at the terminal almost non-stop and his muscles were aching for relief.

"Find what you needed?" Although Shalimar's voice was soft, it held a hint of exasperation. No doubt is was from the hours of inactivity, Jesse thought. He smiled to himself. Some things about some people were still predicable, like Shalimar's need for action and movement.

"Yeah. Hey guys, I'm sorry about the outburst earlier. I was just…well, focused."

"Forget it, man. We all get frustrated sometimes."

"Yeah," Lexa chimed. "You just in your little 'pit-bull' mode. Not much distracts you when you get that way."

"OK, well, ahem," Jesse cleared his throat. He may have been distracted before, but now he was all too aware of Lexa's presence again. Recent events hadn't made him immune to the sultry, sarcastic pout that now marked her features. "I think I've got our next step planned out. But, uh, did you guys find out anything about the Dominion's movements?"

"Nope. Zilch. All three of us tried everything. When I tried to access the dominion network, all I received was a message saying that a Code 3 lockdown was in effect, meaning all communications and access are suspended for at least 24 hours."

"But, the information we did find points to the fact that the Dominion's regrouping too," Brennan said.

"OK. Sounds like they're just as blind as we are. It will give us a chance to get ourselves set up."

"We can't work out of here, Jesse. The safehouses were designed to hide mutants for only a few days, two weeks, tops."

"And it would take us that long just to get a few bits and pieces about what the Dominion is doing, let alone find Adam and rescue him."

"Shal and Lex are right. Plus, don't forget, we've got half a dozen other non-Dominion mutant problems that we've been monitoring – we have to stop the crazy ones and save the innocent ones. And, oh, yeah…we might expire before we even have a chance to do any of that."

Jesse's body was abnormally still, save for the hand running through his long hair. "Yeah, guys, I know. Believe me, I know. There's so much to do it boggles the mind. But." He paused, closing his eyes. "Adam had contingency plans. In case anything ever happened to Sanctuary."

"What? How come he never told us? You'd think that after 10 years I'd know about it!"

"Shal, Shal," Brennan soothed. "We all know that Adam had his secrets. Hell, we all thought he was dead for almost a year." He stroked Shalimar's arm with his fingertips before turning back to Jesse. "When did Adam tell you about them?"

"This morning."

Lexa and Shalimar looked sharply back towards Jesse.

"How? We saw him taken by the Dominion."

"Well, he didn't exactly tell me directly. There was a hidden file in Sanctuary's system. From what I can tell, the file was activated when I used my passwords and emergency codes and started searching through the database for certain specialized equipment that _wasn't_ at Sanctuary. I had, uh, just found it this morning when I blew up at you guys. When I finally managed to decrypt and work my way though the data, I found that there were detailed plans for a second Sanctuary."

Silence pervaded the room as Shalimar, Lexa and Brennan absorbed the idea.

Brennan broke the silence. "Where is it?"

"OK, um, where are Mike and Donna?"

"They left about half an hour ago. They said they were planning on entering the Mutant underground today, anyway. We were lucky they were still here." Lexa took a sip of her coffee.

Jesse walked over to the computer. The others moved to follow, but he stopped them. "I'm just activating the electronic jammers. _Just in case_ anyone is listening in."

He returned. How much of it should he tell them? How could Adam have done this? Adam knew what it would mean. Jesse made his decision, took a deep breath, and began to explain…


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Yeah, I know, sorry about another short chapter, but the next on is much longer, I promise!

* * *

Chapter 5 

"The second Sanctuary is located in the foothills of the Appalachians, not too far from Philadelphia. It's completely underground. So, no windows, just like The Rock. Almost all of if consists of natural caverns or reinforced old mine shafts. And, it's almost exactly the size of Sanctuary. Now, the place is structurally complete, but it's missing its internal structure."

"Just what do you mean by 'internal structure?'"

"Computer terminals, comm. equipment, there is some medical equipment, but not much. Um, internal scaffolding, training equipment, furniture…plus they're some electrical work that needs to be done. Brennan, I'm sure you can handle that part."

"Yeah, no problem. But it sounds like this is just a big hole in the ground. It'll take months to get everything set up. We don't have that kind of time."

Jesse shook his head. "No, no. This, uh, place got put on hold when things started to come to a head with Genomex last year, but Adam made sure he got to a certain point before he stopped. There's a list of contractors and businessmen in the area that we can use. If we use a lot of them, the population in that area is dense enough that it would be impossible to trace them all to us. Plus, there are untraceable identities and accounts that we can use. I checked them. They're all still good. Even with just the four of us, we can be up and running in less than two weeks, probably closer to 10 days."

Lexa noticed that Jesse was once again gesturing with his hands as he spoke. Good. The still, moody Jesse had worried her. But it looked like he was on his way back to his former self. "Given that we can't use the safehouses, this looks like our only option if we want to get up and running anytime soon," she said.

"What about Adam, though? Does he have that kind of time?"

"I thought about that. The Creator said that he had created Adam to help him with his work. They need him to keep the Creator happy, so they won't touch him."

"Yeah, you're right. Then, I think we should go ahead and get started on this project. But with no Helix, we'll either have to drive or take a commercial airliner," Shalimar said wistfully. She had like the Helix. It was fun. She was going to miss it.

Jesse nodded. "I can book us on flights to Philadelphia using the traceless credit cards. We can make some identification with the equipment here at the safehouse – that's what it's there for anyway – to get us through airport security. I'll take care of that, could you guys take care of closing up the safehouse?" He continued at their nods. "Then we'll need to go shopping. I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting tired of wearing these clothes."

Lexa realized that he was still wearing the torn and bloodied striped button up shirt he had first put on three days ago. In fact, they were all still wearing the same clothes they had put on days ago.

"Still fashion-conscious, eh Jess?" Shalimar joked. Brennan snorted.

"Laugh it up, Shal. I know you want to get out of those clothes too. Plus, we'll need jackets. The Dominion took the one I was wearing and we'll need jackets in Philly…it's cold this time of year. We can't exactly go back to Sanctuary and pack a bag."

"Yeah, yeah." Shalimar smiled wistfully again, this time at the reminder that their home was gone, it's location completely revealed, and they couldn't even inspect the damages for another month. She swatted Jesse on the shoulder as she rose from her chair. "I know. I'll go check the perimeter and start locking the place up."

Like a football team after a huddle, the four moved to take care of the necessary tasks. Lexa paused for a moment though. "Hey, Jess?"

He turned. "Yeah?"

"Just curious…where does all the money come from? I know the Dominion funds a lot of Mutant X, but there's a lot of stuff that the Dominion doesn't know about."

Jesse gave a half-smile. He wasn't still, moody Jesse anymore, but he wasn't quite his old self yet. The smile didn't reach his eyes. "Adam is very good at siphoning of a little bit here and a little bit there. Plus, there're a lot of places to make and hide money that the Dominion or the government doesn't know about."

"Are you sure they don't know about it? There's no way they could trace it, end up finding the new Sanctuary?"

"I'm sure, Lexa. Even before Adam disappeared, he had turned the money management aspect over to me. I know every corner. Every single trail, even if someone could find one, either dead ends or just goes in circles. The fact that even I didn't find out about the second Sanctuary, that I need all my passwords and skill to find out about it is a testament to how deeply hidden everything is. We're safe."

Jesse watched as Lexa briefly chewed her bottom lip, gave a slight nod, then left the room. Jesse smiled inside. Lexa's ties to the Dominion were severed now. Mutant X was the closest thing to family that she had now. He was happy to see that she was showing concern for her new family. He turned back to the computer. His family on the other hand, was a little more complicated. And he didn't know if he was ready to tackle it just yet.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Jesse Kilmartin sat in a window seat in the rear of the plane, dressed in new clothes, and with a slightly different look. The other three members of Mutant X were in the middle of the plane. Due to the last minute booking, this was the only possible seating arrangement. He had purposely assigned himself in the lone seat in the back of the plane. He needed to think about and sort through all the new information in his head.

He sighed and straightened in his seat, and watched the clouds drift by below the plane. Now that they had a plan, the foremost thing in is mind was Lexa's statement from the night before. Jeez, had it only been last night that they had found out that Adam was a clone? That the Dominion facility had been destroyed? That_ Sanctuary_ had been destroyed?

Jesse's body mimicked his thoughts. He sat, fidgeting. He snapped his fingers, cracked his knuckles, then rapped them against the window. He paused a moment. Something was off. He looked closer at his hand. Hmm. The bruising wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. His hand barely hurt.

_"Everybody here except Jesse is living under a death sentence."_ The statement came back to the forefront of his thoughts. Why had he been the only one whose genetic structure was fixed? Why not the others? He might not be a geneticist, but maybe, once the medbay was established in the new Sanctuary, he could ferret out Adam's research. He'd have to. Lexa's expiry date was coming up soon. He didn't even know when Shal and Brennan's were. The change to his structure had obviously happened before Adam had had to go into hiding, so getting a hold on the test results shouldn't be too hard. Those files had been catalogued into Sanctuary's roaming data base ages ago. Maybe with his fresh eyes, he could figure out which test had stabilized his structure.

He groaned, frustrated, earning a look from the middle aged man sitting beside him. To even start that project, he'd first have to get into the new Sanctuary. Access to the location would prove to be a bit of a problem for him. Oh, they could get there with no problem; he knew exactly where it was, even though the building they'd have to enter wasn't on any map. The problem was going to come when they entered the building. He didn't think he could do it.

No. No. He abruptly reigned in his thoughts. He had resolved to remove the phrase "I can't" from his vocabulary after Brennan had saved him when he'd gotten shot. Brennan had taken a huge risk and entered his mind to help him fight the customized bullet that threatened his life. Afterward, Jesse had realized how many times he'd said "I can't" to Brennan, who had shrugged it off and told him that he could. Now, he had decided to replace "I can't" with a mantra Adam had once said to him: "The difficult we can do. The impossible just takes a little longer."

_The difficult we can do. The impossible just takes a little longer._

Well, they didn't have that kind of time. He'd just have to find a way to make the impossible happen a little quicker.

* * *

Meanwhile, 12 rows up, Lexa, Brennan and Shalimar were discussing the data that Jesse had printed out for them to go over on the plane. Jesse had his own copy, but none doubted that he had already gone over and absorbed the information.

"This isn't going to be as bad as I first thought. Most of the stuff we'll need is pre-fabricated. All we have to do is pick it up and install it." Brennan was going through the list of items the location still needed.

Lexa, sitting on his left, along the aisle, was doing the same. "Jesse was right. There are a few things that we'll need all four of us to move, but it'll be like moving into a new house – just with a lot of stuff. Hey, the electrical system doesn't look too bad. You can get the generator started. I can take care of the welding."

Shalimar nodded, skimming ahead. There were still 2 hours left in the flight. They could outline who does what later. She stopped when she got to the page that provided details about the geographic location of what would be the new sanctuary. The caves were located in a fairly densely populated area. Given that the original sanctuary had been exposed, she had an understandable concern about the security of the perimeter. The place was located under a rare remote location in the area, which was 30 miles outside Philadelphia. There was only once house in the area, providing a clear perimeter for 3 ½ miles – again, unique in a densely populated area. The landowner must be pretty rich, she thought. The house was a 7500 square foot mansion owned by Noah Kilmar –

"Guys, guys…there's a mansion on the land above the caves."

Brennan looked up. "We'll have to be careful then. Keep an eye on them and make sure they don't see us."

"Yeah, we will, but the mansion's owned by Noah Kilmartin." Shalimar's voice was a mix of emotions, surprise, curiosity and hostility, as she pointed to the information on her copy.

Brennan stared. "Jesus…"

Lexa looked up. "Any relation to Jesse?"

Brennan flipped to the page Shalimar had indicated. "Yeah, Jesse's father."

"Jesse's parents are still alive?" Lexa's voice softened. "Jesse's family was never mentioned in his files from the Dominion. I guess I just assumed he was an orphan or abandoned like us."

"I'm not surprised there was nothing in those files. The Kilmartins have enough money to keep that type of information hidden if they want to. Jesse doesn't talk about them very much either, not even to me. All I know about Jesse's family is that they turned him over to Genomex when he was 15. When Adam and I managed to get him out it was more than a year and a half later, and he was half dead. That was almost, oh, 7 years ago. Jesse has his new family, now. He doesn't talk about his old one." Shalimar's voice was laced with her protective instinct for Jesse.

"Plus, there was that whole incident a few years ago," Brennan added. He had been listening solemnly to Shalimar's brief recounting of how Jesse had come to Mutant X.

Lexa raised an eyebrow, silently asking for more information.

"Jesse's dad made contact with him, but it turned out he only wanted to use him to hide information he was using to blackmail other people," Brennan explained. "I don't know about Jesse, but I haven't heard anything about the guy since."

Lexa sat back in her seat, digesting the information she'd just received. "So we'll just have to keep a closer eye out, make sure Jesse's dad doesn't try anything funny."

"I think it's going to be a little more difficult than that."

"Why?"

Shalimar pointed to a place further down on the page. "The only way into the cave right now is through the mansion. We'll either have to sneak in or knock on the front door. Given the amount of security that place is bound to have, and the fact that we don't have any nifty little toys, it'll probably have to be option number two."

Brennan watched Shalimar as she spoke. She was flexing her fingers. He smiled to himself. If she were a cat, she would be baring and retracting her claws. He loved her fierceness and protectiveness. It made him want to hold her close and keep her from all harm, even though he knew she was well able to take care of her self. He would have put his arm around her and pulled her close then, but he could sense the anxious energy radiating from her. She'd be pacing if she could.

Brennan's ruminations were interrupted by Lexa. She was flipping through the information. "I thought the whole cave was more than 100 feet underground. Is there an elevator to the house or something? Even if there was, why would Adam do that? He must have known how Jesse felt about his family. It's too much of a security risk, anyway."

Brennan examined his own copy of the information. "No, look. The main entrance is half a mile from the house, but there's a security grid guarding every single wall, except for one tiny little place under the house."

"You mean like the internal force fields that were inside sanctuary," Lexa mumbled, recalling her own experience with the fields that were immune to mutant and conventional powers alike. Jesse had had to surround her with one when her implant had been reactivated and she was a danger to the team. Her eyes widened slightly with realization. "Jesse's the only one who can get in."

Shalimar thought for a moment. "You're right. He'd have to phase into the cave. But that's through 100 feet of solid rock. That would be pretty damn hard for even Jesse to do. Plus, what if Jesse wasn't around to do it? I hate to say it, but what if Jesse had died? There would be no way to get in."

Lexa leaned over, lowering her voice to a whisper, to unconsciously indicating that Shalimar's voice had steadily risen in volume, was getting a little too loud, even on the noisy plane. "Think about it. It actually makes a lot of sense. If there were ever a big battle, you'd fight to the death for your friends, Shal. Brennan would never back down from a fight, and he'd fight right alongside you. Adam didn't know me, or if he did, he didn't trust me, when he built the place. Jesse's abilities to phase and mass would make him the most likely to survive. If Jesse were dead, that would mean that the rest of the team probably was too. That's probably why Jesse's passwords activated the file. Since we need Jesse in order to get in, Adam had to make sure that Jesse was alive before he gave us the information. My guess is that, if he'd had more time, he would have found ways to let you guys in too."

Running his hand across his face and through his hair, Brennan groaned. "Jeez, this is such a maze."

"I know, and we're only halfway through this stuff Jesse printed. I wonder what's in the other half." Shalimar flipped through the remaining pages, stopping when she found something interesting. She glanced through the next few pages.

"It's Adam's personal file on Jesse."

"But Adam kept his personal files under lock and firewall?"

"He did. How'd you know, Lex?"

Lexa blushed slightly, but recovered quickly. "When I first got to Mutant X, it was my job to find out whatever I could. I could never crack Adam's personal files though. I managed to access some of his private research, though, when I let myself get captured by the Dominion, but I still couldn't even touch his personal files"

Brennan nodded. He knew that Lexa cared about Jesse. He also knew that her suicide mission into the Dominion facility meant that she had some loyalty to Mutant X, but he still wasn't sure what he thought about her. "What else did you do that you didn't tell us about?"

From her seat between them, Shalimar intervened, before the question could escalate into a full-blown argument. "Hey, you know, given how secretive Jesse is about his own past, I wonder why he printed this file."

"Maybe he didn't know he was printing it. This symbol on the first page shows that it's a linked file."

"Jesse's too smart for that. There has to be a reason he let us see this file."

"Maybe this is his way of telling us about his past, why it'll be hard for him to see his father again. Maybe he doesn't trust himself to be able to do it, and he wants us to know why."

Lexa and Brennan were silent. They looked at Shalimar for a moment and saw something in her eyes. They weren't sure what it was, but a tacit agreement was reached, and with a slight nod, the three of them began to read Jesse's file.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Credit to Mele's story "Jesse" for giving me inspiration on Jesse's backround. 

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Chapter 7 

(---Data Link 3094 Engaged---)

[Voice Recording Activated]

File: Personal Observations and Records of Adam Kane, PhD

Subfile: Mutant X

Subject: Jesse Lawrence Kilmartin, KSP-13584

Category: Molecular

I'm pleased to be able to say that Jesse has almost fully recovered from his period of captivity with Genomex. He is still under the normal weight for a now 18 year old with his height and body type, but he has made significant progress. Physical tests indicate that his pulse and blood pressure have also recovered, though they are lower than average. I attribute this, however, to his mutation. Surviving moleculars have all demonstrated excellent cardiovascular health, likely due to their to ability to actively modify their complete physical makeup at the molecular level. Jesse's speed, agility, reaction times and intelligence have also been tested and found to be exceptional. Additionally, Jesse's circulatory and internal systems seem to have suffered no long-term ill effects from the numerous medical, chemical and physical tests performed on them.

While his physical health is progressing nicely, I must admit that I have lingering concerns regarding his emotional health. After Shalimar and I were able to free him from Genomex, the boy was reserved and quiet. He startled easily and flinched away from any and all potential physical contact. When I first took him to the medbay for an examination I could see him become tense and make an effort to flee. He was extremely defensive. Had he been stronger and Shalimar not been beside him, I have no doubt that he would have been able to. He would have found it difficult to escape, though, as we had blinded him once we had him in the Helix. It is ironic and sad to say that we were lucky he was in such poor condition. I can only imagine the damage that may have been done to Sanctuary had he been able to run.

In his 34 days at Sanctuary Jesse spent the first 9 days in medbay simply recovering physically. Apparently, adrenaline had been sustaining him for the past day or two, because once he relaxed and fell asleep, his numerous medical problems took command of his body. He must have been exposed to a high-density radon beam containing benzene at some point recently, because the dermis layer of his skin seemed to have been burnt. It also managed to affect the melanocytes – he's going to be very pale for a while and will be sensitive to sunlight until they have a chance to heal. Furthermore, he was so exhausted and malnourished that his body was starting to eat away at his muscles. There was simply no other source of nourishment.

All his medical conditions are listed in his active file, but suffice to say that I am amazed at his determination to recover. By the time his body had healed, he was sufficiently comfortable with Shalimar, who is only a year or so older than he, to allow her to show him the rest of the facility. Later Shalimar told me that he was quiet about most things at first, but after he had taken a nap, was asking intelligent questions about the equipment and location. Naturally she held back in her answers, because she didn't know how much I was wanted her to reveal. Jesse has spent most of his time since then reading anything he can get his hands on. He seems especially fascinated by any specifications I give him about our computer systems. I make sure he exercises, though; his body still hasn't healed itself completely, and, as scientists have been saying for years, exercise is a great way for the body to heal itself.

I specifically remember asking her what she thought of Jesse. She said that she liked him, and that he was someone she could trust once she got to know him more. She also said that he seemed a little shy about himself and never talked about his past. I told her that it was okay, that he probably didn't want to associate himself with anything from his past. I told her that I liked him too, and that he was welcome to stay with us as long as he wished.

What I didn't tell her was that I actually knew quite a bit about Jesse's past, and I wasn't going to force him to go back to it if he didn't want to. I remember when I was working with Jesse's genetic structure. His case was rather unique in the scope of the entire genetic project – he was one of the last cases I worked on. Furthermore, he was one of the oldest subjects. While most mutants had their structure manipulated before birth, Jesse was already three, almost four years old when he came to me. He had been diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia and his parents' wealth had connections had led them to me. Fortunately, I was able to help him. It had taken two months – but I was up to the challenge. I wanted to see if my techniques would be successful when applied to post-natal conditions.

I didn't think anything of it at the time, but I remember that his parents never visited him during that time. The company had offered them accommodations, but they had refused, insisting they had go back to Philadelphia. What's even stranger is that Jesse didn't seem to miss them. At the time I thought that he was simply familiar with – and fascinated by – medical equipment and doctors by then. While that was true, I now realize that he was also used to being left with strangers.

When the program collapsed and the children began to show physical manifestation of their genetic manipulation I went back through every file – and there were thousands – trying to figure out what was happening. I never did find out what caused the mutation, but I did find that those patients whose genetic structure had been manipulated after birth, especially the older children, had a 98% chance of falling into the molecular category. Again, I never figured out why this was so. But in my efforts, I met with as many mutants as I could – taking new samples and performing evaluations. However, Jesse was one that I was never able to contact again. His parents' money and influence at the time managed to prevent it. Maybe that was why I remembered Jesse Kilmartin so well. I remember the sadness and surprise when I found his name on a list of Genomex detainees I received from an informant.

After Jesse had arrived and was recovering, I was curious as to how Genomex had managed to capture him. He had obviously been at the facility for months – why hadn't his parents exerted their power to liberate him? I was sickened to uncover the reason: his parents weren't trying to free him because they had put him there. It took quite a bit of effort, but I managed to discover that his parents had surrendered him to Eckhart's care 17 months before. Jesse had been in and out of other medical facilities and boarding schools since he was 6 years old. He had seemed to adjust well to each location, but his parents always withdrew him within a year. My guess was that Jesse had manifested his abilities early and he had been removed to prevent further questioning when something went wrong. After we first rescued him from Genomex, I had wondered how such an easygoing, adaptable child like Jesse had become so withdrawn. After having dinner and returning to the research I figured it out. All I had to look at was the dates. He had never been in one location for more than a year – the average was 10 months. When his parents failed to collect him from Genomex after a year, he had finally given up on them.

[Voice Recording Terminated]

[Voice Recording Activated]

I just returned from watching Jesse's first training session with Shalimar. While she did, in fact, 'kick his butt,' I was impressed with the results, and could see that Shalimar was too. His agility, flexibility and intelligence will make him a superb fighter. He also has an aptitude for computers that may rival my own. He may not be familiar with the shady underworld dealings that I must now work with, but he does have an understanding of the ruthlessness of the corporate world, and will easily prove to be an asset. He shows an eagerness to learn, as well as determination. But he also shows control. I could see him thinking before he made his next move. Unfortunately he took too long and Shalimar took advantage – but that will get better with time. _He'll _get better with time. While Jesse may never confide in anyone about his past, I think he'll have a good future. And if he feels so inclined, that future can be here with us at Sanctuary.

End Recording.

[Voice Recording Terminated]


	8. Chapter 8

AN: I forgot to put this in the last chapter, but credit to Mele's story "Jesse" for giving me ideas about Jesse's background. A big thank you to all those that review; they really make my day! And now, without further ado… 

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Chapter 8 

"So, Lexa, you'll be picking up the computer stuff from the three different suppliers. And we've got fake names and businesses to use for that."

Lexa nodded from the backseat of the rented Toyota 4Runner. "All I need is access to a computer so I can order them online – it'll be more plausible.

Brennan turned off the main highway onto a rural road that Jesse had indicated. They had been driving for over an hour. No one wanted to ask Jesse about the file that they had found in the printed documents, though they all wanted to know if he had meant for them to read the information, and how he felt about having to confront his family again. But given his recent behavior, they were a little anxious about talking to Jesse about it. So instead, they had limited their conversation to their plans for the new Sanctuary.

"Ok, you'll take care of that," Brennan vocally reviewed. "Shalimar will get the appliances from a local chain store, playing a dumb young housewife." He chuckled as he spoke, which earned him a growl and a stare from Shalimar, who was sitting in the backseat beside Lexa. When Brennan saw her reaction in the rearview mirror he raised his eyebrow and placed an addendum on his description: "who is beautiful and charming and exceptionally talented everywhere except the kitchen."

Shalimar sat back, momentarily appeased, but then decided to get her own jabs in. "And your job is to go to the steel depot and play big hulking construction worker who thinks with other parts of his anatomy besides his brain. Hmm, not much of a stretch."

"Ha, ha. Very funny." Brennan risked taking his eyes off the road to glance over at Jesse, who was leaning against the window, chin in hand. He hadn't even cracked a smile at the banter between himself and Shalimar, which normally had him laughing. "He bro, you doin' okay over there?"

Jesse looked away from the window. "Yeah. I'm fine." He gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You guys'll take care the shopping and I'll take care of whatever equipment is already there."

Once again, silence fell over the group. Finally, Brennan decided it was time to break the tension.

"Hey, um, Jess man. When we were looking through that stuff you printed out we found a copy of Adam's personal file on you. We couldn't help but read it. Are you going to be okay with this? I mean, going back and seeing your family? 'Cause if you're not, then I'm sure we could find some other way into the cave.

"No, no. We don't have the time to find another way, even if there is one." Jesse glanced at and put down his copy of the file information, which he had dug out of the backpack that was resting between his feet. "Sorry, about that guys. I knew the file was linked, and I'd read it, but I forgot about it when I printed this stuff. I just dumped everything into a system file and told the computer to make 4 hard copies of it all." He stuffed the papers back into the pack. "I'll be fine. I know what to expect this time. Turn here."

Brennan followed Jesse's direction, thinking about what he just said. "Okay, then, bro. You don't mind us knowing about it all, though?"

"No, not really, I guess. I mean, I know all about your guys' past, I read Adam's files."

Lexa leaned forward against the back of Jesse's seat. "Oh, really? And just how did you manage that."

Jesse turned his head and blessed her with one of his 'I-gave-you-your-chance-but-only-because-you-wanted-it-because-I-know-somethig-you-don't-know' grins. "I cracked Adam's personal files months ago."

Lexa smacked him on the back of the head.

He shifted to face her. "Hey, hey. It was after Adam disappeared. It was when we were dealing with your implant. I was looking through everything. I was desperate."

Lexa looked him in the eye. "Really." Her voice was obviously trying for sarcastic, but instead contained a bit of disbelief mixed with wonder and hope.

Shalimar met Brennan's gaze through the rearview mirror, one eyebrow raised.

"Ahem." Lexa and Jesse looked over to Brennan. "That's real sweet and all, but we're here."

Jesse turned back around in his seat. He let out a breath, glanced at Brennan and Shalimar, who were sitting on his left. "Well, then. Here we go."

He stepped out of the car.

* * *

Inside the house, Josie Ives let the curtain fall back over the window. She had watched the vehicle approach after the security system had alerted her that a car had entered the drive. Furrowing her brow, she brought one fingernail to her lips, then immediately brought it back down again. Her latest resolution was to stop biting her fingernails, and she was doing well. Now wasn't the time to start.

Josie directed her thoughts back to the strangers in the drive. This was a very secluded house. Well, secluded mansion. She had been working here for nearly half a decade in the position of estate manager / housekeeper. The address was so remote that strangers never came. In fact, the only people who _ever_ came were invited and placed on a schedule that she knew about. Whoever they were, the homeowners were definitely not expecting them. She moved over to the intercom system located on a nearby wall and pressed a button.

"Yes, Josie?"

Depressing a second button, Josie spoke into the microphone. "Sorry to bother you while you're working, but a strange car is pulling into the drive. Are we expecting anyone?"

"No. Hmm. See if you can figure out why they're here, but don't let them in. I'll be down shortly." The voice on the other end of the line ended the connection.

Josie nodded and moved back to the window. Frowning, she pulled the curtain back again, this time to watch the strangers exit their vehicle.

The first one to step out was a young man in the passenger seat. As he straightened, she could see that, beneath the loose fitting jeans, tight t-shirt and fitted suede jacket his body was lean and trim. She couldn't see the color of his eyes, but his dirty blonde- almost brown hair was neatly combed and had obviously been recently cut short in the simple style of a young businessman. There was something familiar about him. Perhaps he had been here before.

She looked at the others that had stepped out after him. There was another man and two women. All of them were fit and fairly young, no more than 30, she guessed. The second man was taller than the first by several inches and had dark neatly trimmed hair. He was dressed much like the other man, except he was wearing a black leather jacket and blue jeans.

Of the two women the one on the near side was of average height with long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, making her face look youthful, though a touch of battle-weariness was still evident on her face. She, too wore blue jeans and a short t-shirt, but it seemed as if she were uncomfortable in her clothes. Maybe she was used to wearing skirts.

The second woman was a petite blond. She had drawn her hair up on the sides with small clips. The way she carried herself, combined with her khaki-colored cargo pants and midriff-baring shirt, make Josie think that she looked like a marine's younger sister.

She watched as the blond woman reached out to place an arm around the taller man's waist. She could see the four of them speaking in hushed tones. She wondered what they were saying, but didn't have to wait long as they soon reached the door and rang the doorbell.

* * *

"Jeez, Jess. This place is huge. Did you ever live here when you were a kid?"

"Not much. I don't think I ever stayed longer than a month. It was usually when I was between schools or research facilities. It was a nice quiet place away from the public where no would be around if my powers started acting up."

"The security cameras I saw in the trees certainly help keep people away. But I don't think many people come around here. I can only smell the lingering scents of a few people. In fact, one of them is on the other side of the front door waiting for us."

"Well let's not keep them waiting." Lexa reached out and rang the doorbell.

After a few moments, probably so they would think she had come from a distance, a middle-aged woman of indiscriminate features opened the door. Her shoulder length auburn hair was draped artfully around her face. Her features held the look of someone who was pleasant, but could be tough as nails when necessary. "Hello. May I help you?"

"Yeah, um…well." Jesse laughed at himself. He actually hadn't thought of what he would say if someone he didn't know answered the door. He should have, though. There had always been some member of the household staff to answer the door.

The woman in the doorway arched an eyebrow, awaiting an explanation.

Jesse cleared his throat. "Well, you see, I, uh, I used to live here."

The woman's eyebrow arched even higher. However, Jesse was saved from further explanation when a voice emanated from inside.

"Josie? Who is it?"

The five people gathered at the door all glanced inside to see a striking young woman descend the stairs. The way she walked simply screamed elegance and wealth, as did the tan cotton capris and knit sleeveless top she wore. A small movement of her head sent her blond bangs out of her eyes to rest on her long hair, which had been pulled back by a tortoise-shell clip.

"Oh, God." Attention was brought back to Jesse as the words escaped his lips.

"What's wrong?" Lexa tentatively placed a hand on his arm.

Jesse didn't answer, but continued to stare at the woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, as she approached the door. When she finally got a good look at the strangers, she stood still for a moment, but then her eyes widened and she gasped.

"Oh! Jesse!" she cried, one hand covering her mouth, the other reaching out to touch his face.

The moment her hand made contact with his face Jesse suddenly reached out and embraced her. "Katie. Oh, Katie, I've missed you."

Standing in the doorway Lexa, Shalimar and Brennan looked, surprise etching each of their faces. They were all thinking the same thing.

Who was this woman?


	9. Chapter 9

AN: I've got family in town for the next few days, but I've got enough chapters already written that I can keep up the once a day posting while they're in town…I may be posting a little later than usual due to computer access problems, though.

KatKnits00: You win the kewpie doll!..If I had one…;-)

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Chapter 9 

Shalimar waited several moments, watching Jesse embrace the young woman, who was clutching him tightly and actively sobbing. Finally, though, her curiosity got the better of her, and she placed a hand on Jesse's shoulder. "Jess?"

Jesse broke the embrace, but kept his arm around the woman's shoulders. Shalimar was a bit surprised to see his own eyes bright with unshed tears. He shrugged it of though as he gave a small, choked laugh. "Guys, this is my little sister Katherine Kilmartin. Katie this is Shalimar Fox, Brennan Mulwray and Lexa Pierce."

The other mutant's exchanged greetings with Katie.

"Jess, man – I didn't know you had a sister."

"Well, Brennan, until today, there was a lot of stuff you didn't know about me. But I had my reasons for not telling anyone about Katie."

"Fair enough. I gather from that greeting that you guys haven't seen each other in a while. How long's it been?"

Katie wiped her eyes with one delicate hand. "Oh. It's, uh, been about 8 years. I, uh, actually thought that Jesse was dead." Her voice started to break again. She started to turn back to Jesse's shoulder, as if to reassure herself once again of his presence, but he stopped her by lifting her chin.

"What do you mean you thought I was dead?" Jesse's confusion was evident.

Katie sniffed. "Well, when you left the last time, I didn't think anything of it. I mean, you'd been sent off more times than I could count. When you didn't come back after a few months, I asked Father where you were. He said that one of the experimental treatments meant to help you had an unforeseen side effect that killed you."

Jesse stepped away from his sister, his confusion quickly giving way to anger as comprehension dawned. "That son of a bitch!"

The others jumped at the uncharacteristic obscenity. Lexa watched as he stormed over to the other side of the entryway and began to pace. He ran his hands through his hair, momentarily confused by its much shorter length. "Is he here?" Jesse asked heatedly, pointing up the main staircase.

"No, I haven't even heard from him in two years."

Jesse made a rude noise and resumed his pacing.

Josie took the opportunity to make her exit – this was obviously a personal issue that should be resolved in private. Her training mandated that she leave the room. "If you'll excuse me, Katie, I'll go make up some of the guest rooms. I presume they will be staying the night?"

Katie nodded, and the woman turned on her heel and left the room. As soon as she left, Katie looked to Shalimar. "I don't understand. Was he cured? If he was, why didn't he come home?" Katie's inquisitive stare shifted from one person to the next, looking for answers.

Lexa finally gave into her scrutiny. "The last place Jesse was sent to had no intention of 'curing' Jesse," she said gently. She could see that the younger woman was genuinely confused and had no desire to harm any of them. "When you talk about his problem I assume you mean his, uh, 'abilities?'"

Katie nodded. "When ever he was home his things kept passing through his body. In fact, the day before he left, we were in the backyard, he tripped and fell against a tree. Except Jesse went _through_ the tree. I was only 14 at the time. I had no idea what was going on."

"There was actually nothing wrong with Jesse. Nothing life threatening, at least. When he was a kid, he developed leukemia. Your parents took him to a geneticist named Adam Kane, hoping that he could use his genetic manipulation techniques to cure him. It worked, but a side effect was that Jesse developed certain abilities, one of which is to lower the density of his body to the point that other objects can pass through him."

Suddenly there was a loud crash from the other side of the room. They easily found the source of the noise when they saw Jesse removing his fist from the front wall. A slight glow from the front porch light emanated into the room.

Jesse looked up, feeling their stares. "Sorry," he mumbled, then resumed his pacing once again.

Katie looked back to Lexa, her eyes wide. There was a slight grimace on Lexa's face. "That was Jesse's second ability," she explained. "The first one we call phasing. That was an example of what's called massing. Jesse increased the density of his body so that _nothing_ can pass through it and it can pass through almost anything." Lexa raised and directed her voice toward Jesse, so that he would be sure to hear. "Usually he's very controlled when it comes to using his powers."

Jesse stopped pacing and his cheeks flushed. "Yeah, I am. Sorry about that Katie-cat." He came closer and reached for her. "I guess that even after I ran into dad a couple years ago I still didn't think he'd sunk that low."

"Father saw you? He knew you were alive?"

"Yeah. But, uh, let's not talk about that right now. We'll have time to catch up later."

She gave him a quick squeeze. "Yeah. So, how do you guys know Jesse and what brings you all here?"

Brennan shuffled his feet, glancing at Jesse. How much could they tell her? Jessed slight nod indicating that they didn't have to use a cover story.

"Well, Jesse's a member of our team, which is called Mutant X, and, uh." He looked to Shalimar. He wasn't good at explaining things.

She took pity on him. Plus, he looked so cute with that little 'help me' look on his face. "Jesse's been with the team for about 7 years. It's our job to watch over and protect mutants from other people and to protect other people from mutants."

"Mutants?" Katie's voice was steady and eagerly curious. Shalimar smiled, warming up to the girl even more. Her question reminded her of Jesse when they had first met. She was obviously intelligent and inquisitive like her brother.

"Yes. There are thousands of other people like Jesse, whose genes have mutated as a result of the genetic manipulation. They all have abilities that the average person doesn't have. In fact, Brennan, Lexa and I are mutants too.

"Really?" Katie mulled over the new information. "What can you guys do?"

Lexa spoke up. "Shalimar here has super senses, among other things. Brennan can generate electricity, and I can manipulate light." She created a small laser on her fingertips as means of a demonstration.

"Whoa. How is it possible, how do you guys do it?"

"For most of us, it's instinct, kind of like your sense of smell or touch. The real problem is learning to control it. That's why Jesse had problems when he was a kid. He had no way of knowing how to control it, so it just got worse as he got older."

Katie opened her mouth to ask another question but was stopped by Jesse moving his hand to her other shoulder to get her attention.

"Listen, Katie, I know you'll have a million questions, but we're actually here for another reason."

"Are you guys on some sort of secret mission?" she asked teasingly.

Jesse shot an amused smile to the others before answering. "Sort of. See, the, uh, bad guys discovered and destroyed our 'secret hideout,' if you will. But we, uh, found out that the guy who built the place had a back up place, just in case."

"What does that have to do with you coming here? There's nothing around here for miles except the estate."

"Well, heh, the place is actually underground, made up of a bunch of old mine shafts and caves. The security around the place is very tight, and the only way in is through this house." Jesse stepped away and retrieved the backpack he'd left on the front porch. "We need to do some work on it, and we can't really do anything until tomorrow, but I'd like to get in there tonight and scope the place out and disengage the internal security on the front door."

"Yeah, sure."

Jesse reached in to his bag and pulled out a small but powerful flashlight and the diagram of the caves below and the security grid. Checking them briefly, he moved off to his left.

The others followed him as he wound his way through several rooms and hallways and finally down a staircase to a basement. The watched as Jesse consulted the map, moved forward about 10 feet and then took a few steps to the right. He looked at the diagram again, shifted a little to his left, then looked up at everyone else. "OK, this is the spot. I don't know how long it will take me to disable the grid, but I'm guessing it will be about an hour or two."

"Jess, are you sure about this? Have you ever done anything like this before?"

"You remember when you locked me in the grid cage in the hallway when your implant was acting up?"

Lexa nodded.

"How do you think I got out of there? I went through the floor, which was the only place without the grid. I'll be fine," he assured. "Well, here goes something."

Katie watched in astonishment as she watched her brother take a deep breath. Then his body became transparent. He took a small leap, and disappeared through the floor. She blinked, not quite believing what she had just seen. Hesitantly, she tapped her foot on the floor in the place Jesse had just been.

Shalimar gave a nervous laugh. "Yes, Katie, he really went through the floor." Turning to Brennan, she asked, "Do our comrings still work?"

Brennan understood what she was asking. "They should. They work of satellites, not Sanctuary's mainframe." He ran his thumb over the ring on his right hand, activating it. "Hey, Jess – you there?

For a few moments, there was nothing. Brennan repeated his inquiry. Finally, though, there was an answer.

"Yeah, Bren. I'm OK. It's dusty as hell down here though." The signal was weak and Jesse was breathing heavily, but they understood him easily enough. "I'm going to have a look around. I don't think the comrings will work once I'm away from this gap in the security grid, though. I'll see you guys in a couple hours."

"Ok, man. Good luck," Brennan said as the connection terminated. He glanced at the three women. "Looks like we wait. You got anything to eat?"


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Short chapter today, but longer and more interesting ones are on their way. FYI, I've got the whole story finally mapped, I've written about 60% of it, and posted about 80% of what I've written, so (please) hang on for the ride!   
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Chapter 10 

Jesse closed connection between himself and Brennan. He figured the comrings actually had a 70-someodd percent chance of working down here, but he didn't really want to be interrupted while he was working. For good measure, he slid the ring of the finger of his right hand and shoved it into his pocket.

Turning on the heavy-duty flashlight, he shone the light around the area in which he stood. There was a rock wall that ran diagonally 20 feet to his right, and another behind him. Shining the light up, he coughed, getting another mouthful of the settling dust that his landing had stirred up. The ceiling was a good 25 feet above his head. Looking back down and around, Jesse shook his head. He was amazed that he had managed to phase through the 103 feet of rock and 20-someodd feet of air and come out relatively unscathed. He had landed rather hard, though; his ankle had twisted out from underneath him. He considered himself fortunate this time, considering the bruising his rib cage had gotten last time he had phased through a floor. And that time the distance was only a small portion of the distance he had just traveled.

Having finished his survey of the area around him, he glanced back down at the diagram in his hand. The computer terminal that was there to control the security grid was in a cavern several hundred feet away. Twisting the head of the flashlight to broaden the beam, Jesse started down the hallway, making observations as he went. There was definitely dust lying around, but most of it was centered in the area where he had landed. In addition to keeping people out the security grid must have sealed most of the area from exposure, thus keeping the dust out as well – hence the pile of it where he had landed. The dust had fallen off the rock exposed to the cavern. He was pleased to see that there were no cobwebs, and he hadn't seen any other living creatures. Adam must have done a thermal scan, making sure there were no living things inside that could mess with the equipment, before sealing the place off.

After 10 minutes, several strange turns and several studies of the diagram, Jesse reached the security terminal. He made a cursory examination of the equipment, which essentially consisted of three flat screen monitors and an upright processing unit on the left side resting on a countertop attached to a wall, and then flipped the power switch and waited for the equipment to run the standard self-diagnostic that was initiated on start up. While he waited, he jerry-rigged the flashlight to shine where he needed it without him having to hold it up.

Finally, the computer flashed a dialogue box indicating its readiness. Typing in the requisite passwords, Jesse found his way to the mainframe. The first thing he found, however, had nothing to do with the security grid. Jesse couldn't hold back a small glimmer of amusement. It seemed Adam did have some priorities straight. The first thing the computer directed him to do was access and activate the ventilation system, to make sure that there was oxygenated air circulating the cave. It made sense. Even with such a large area, and only one person, after a few hours the air was sure to become saturated with carbon dioxide, poisoning the occupants. Doing as the computer prompted – repeatedly entering passwords and decrypting codes – Jesse activated the air vents.

After doing so, he was finally able to reach the security files. Taking a cursory look at the system map and lines of code, he sighed. This was going to take a while. He'd have to be careful too. It seemed as though Adam had installed numerous security firewalls and protection measures. Just in case anyone else managed to discover the cave's existence; just in case anyone else managed to get through 100 feet of rock and into the cave; just in case anyone managed to have the passwords to get past the initial start-up sequence. Jesse's thoughts were sarcastic. Still, better to make sure it was someone friendly before allowing access. Adam had a point, there. Jesse pushed aside his pessimistic thoughts about Adam, knowing they wouldn't help him here.

Jesse shrugged out of his jacket and ran his hand through his hair. He was glad that he had cut it – he had wanted to disguise his look a little, and for him, the best way was by cutting his hair. It gave him a very different appearance than a few days ago – emphasizing instead of hiding his firm facial features – but he was still unaccustomed to the shorter length. Giving up on his hair, he automatically reached behind him for the chair – and found there wasn't one. He laughed. Adam may have been brilliant, but he often forgot the most mundane of things. Given the height of the counter, he would have to stand while he made his way through the security levels. The next few hours were going to be very long ones indeed.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: An early update today, since I'll be away all day…I've been told the story is a little too serious – have no fear, there is a bit more romance and humor coming up, but not a lot, since it's not really part of the story. But, it has given me ideas for some post story vignettes…Anyway, here is…   
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Chapter 11 

"He actually walked in on you in the shower?" Katie laughed, imagining her brother's flushed face as he walked in on Lexa while she was in the shower.

Lexa nodded. "He did. I kept adjusting the towel on purpose, just to make him more flustered. It's so cute," she mocked. She said this in a sardonic tone, but the truth evident in her eyes, despite what her voice tried to convey.

"Okay, too much information," Katie said, putting a hand up. "Jesse always was eager. Whenever he learned something new, he always wanted to tell someone about it. Mother and Father usually couldn't be bothered, so he came to me a lot."

"And what exactly did your parents do that made them so unavailable?" Shalimar asked bitterly.

Brennan, who was walking alongside her and behind Katie and Lexa bent down to her ear. "Play nice, kitty," he admonished, letting her know that her feral side was showing.

Shalimar whispered back, "I like her, I don't like Noah."

Brennan nodded as he straightened up. He could hardly berate her for something he agreed with. "So, Katie, has this place been in your family very long?"

"Not really," Katie said as she led down the hallway lined with portraits and landscapes. "My family is an old one, but grandpa had this house built about 40 years ago, and that's nothing compared to the ages of the really old houses in this part of the country." She had been giving them a tour of the house. They had already seen the kitchen – where they had ransacked the refrigerator, the living room, the dining room, the parlor, the study and the library. All were elegantly decorated in classic, yet modern styles. And all of which, except for the kitchen, Katie told them, were hardly used.

Lexa noticed how the hallways echoed. "Seems kind of desolate. I guess the family doesn't spend much time here."

"I'm the only one. Josie lives her, though. Her husband does too – he's the groundskeeper. There's a cleaning crew that comes by once a week, but that's about it."

"Why do you stay here? Why not just close the place up and move to the city. It's not like you couldn't afford it."

"I did live in the city for a few months, after I graduated college. But then Father suddenly signed over all the accounts and control of the business to me a couple years ago. Gave me power of attorney over everything. I double majored in business administration and economics, so I guess he thought I could handle it. I haven't heard from him since. Jesse said he saw him a couple years ago. If it was anytime in September, maybe it had something to do with that."

"I think it was late August when we ran into him." Brennan looked to Shalimar for confirmation.

She nodded. "Your dad tried to get Jesse to help him blackmail the company he worked for."

Katie sighed. "I was afraid it was something like that. You see, most of the family's wealth was inherited from my mother's side. Her father was an investment banker and later gained ownership of a company that designs microchips. Before they got married, mom was a socialite. It was basically her job to schmooze with the customers and maintain good relations. Father worked as a security consultant."

"Nexxogen," Shal supplied.

"Yes. After he married mother, he kept working, eventually becoming head of security. When Grandpa Lawrence died, control over the investment firms and the company went to my father. He controlled them exclusively until he suddenly handed them over to me a couple years ago. Ever since, I've been working on sorting them all out. Father may be an expert in security, but he really sucked at organization. I've taken care of the businesses, but I'm just now getting around to organizing all his legal papers. I brought them all here to work with because the house in Philadelphia was getting a little crowded with all of mom's socialite friends." Katie snorted as she stopped by a door. "Her lovers de jour, too."

"So your parents didn't exactly have a loving, monogamous relationship, did they?" The tone of Shalimar's voice made it clear that it was more of a statement than a question.

"Nope. Father was always on business trips and Mother was always working the social circuit. Grandpa kept an eye on Jesse and me, though. He lived with us in the house in Philadelphia. He was always asking us how are day was, writing letters to Jesse asking how he liked his new school, things like that." Katie looked down at her feet for a moment, but then returned her gaze to her visitors. "He passed away from a heart attack about a year before Jesse die– disappeared," Kate caught herself. It was still hard reconciling herself not only to the fact that her beloved older brother was still alive, but that her father had known that he was still alive.

Brennan once again utilized his classic tactic of changing the subject – he cleared his throat. "Ahem. So, uh, what's this room?"

Katie looked at the door. "This was Jesse's room. Mom and dad asked me to take care of it, but I didn't have the heart to clean it out. I figured I'd be the busybody younger sister and show it to his friends."

Brennan chuckled. "All the more to tease him with, my dear. Let's take a look."

Shalimar was the first to step in to the room. "Holy shit. It's a mess!"

Katie laughed. "When he was home it was usually a lot worse than this. Dirty clothes were all over the floor. There was almost always some electronic thing that he was taking apart spread out all over the place. He left so quickly the last time I ended up cleaning all the dirty laundry and stuff so the place wouldn't smell, but I left everything else for him to take care of. Hence, the computer spread all over the bed and papers all over the desk."

"It's just a little surprising. I've always known Jesse to be a neat freak. He's got everything organized. Everything's neat, everything has its own little place." Shalimar opened the closet, pawing through the clothes. "Still dresses the same though. Well, he did, anyway. How many button-down shirts can a man own, anyway?"

Lexa walked over to the desk, stepping over a backpack on the way. She grazed her fingers over the haphazardly stacked pile of books. "Chemistry, Physics, Advanced Calculus, Structural Engineering. Jesse was reading this stuff when he was 15?"

Katie looked away from the closet where she was telling Shalimar a story about eggnog and Jesse's favorite shirt. "Yeah. He was almost 16 and he had just graduated high school. He was boning up for his first semester at Colombia.

Lexa gave a small smile. "That sounds like the egghead we all know and love." Her smile faded. "Jesse never did make it to Colombia, did he?"

Katie shook her head. "Before I asked Father where Jesse was I did a search – hacked into as many college admissions databases as I could trying to see if he was just away at college."

Lexa sighed. "Just more proof that all the money in the world can't buy happiness."

Katie nodded, but before the silence could get awkward, Brennan's voice echoed from across the room. "He didn't have bad taste in posters, though."

The three women turned to look at the posters lining the wall. There was a periodic table above the desk. Next to it was a poster from the most recent World Cup soccer match. They all remembered Jesse's affinity for the game. Many a time he had tried to start a pick up game in the hallway. Unfortunately for him, Brennan preferred basketball, Shalimar preferred the dojo, and Lexa preferred the dojo and, of all things, tai chi. Lexa remembered how, after she revealed that to Jesse on afternoon she explained by saying that it was a good way to relax. Jesse had joked that she needed to do it more. She had slapped his arm and stalked out. Lexa shook her head at the memory and resumed her perusing of Jesse's wall. There were a couple more soccer posters and one of a Brazilian rainforest. Next to the door, she saw a couple posters of pin-up girls, one of which Brennan was presently admiring. Noticing the appreciative look he gave the poster, Shalimar slapped him on the arm.

Lexa turned her attention back to the desk while Shalimar admonished Brennan on the women's rights while Katie laughed. Reaching behind the stack of textbooks, she pulled out a well-worn paperback book. Recognizing the title, she began to flip through it.

"Sophie's World. It was – is – Jesse's favorite book." Katie's voice came from behind her.

Lexa nodded as Katie moved to her side, and briefly touched the cover of the book. "I know. I went to visit him in his room after he had been shot – "

"Shot! Jesse's been shot before? Jeez, the work you do must be dangerous."

Lexa placed a hand on the younger woman's arm when she heard the panic in her voice. "He's fine, and as far as I know, it's only happened the one time. Jesse's ability to mass out protects him – and us – from most bullets. The bullet was designed by someone who had studied Jesse, and made a bullet that could penetrate his massed state. We took care of the guy." Lexa left out the part about the bullet attaching itself to Jesse's nervous system and containing explosives. "Anyway, I went to visit him and he was reading this book. He told me all about Sophie and how the guy teaches her about all the different philosophers. He always said it made him remember that it's a big world out there and that the scales are pretty big, so something that seemed big to him wasn't necessarily big in the grand scale of things. Plus he said the scales are balanced. He might be having a real bad time of it, but that meant that somewhere else, someone else was having a good time of it."

"That sounds like Jesse. He used to say the same things to me."

"Yeah, well, I guess it explains his optimism."

"And his desire to help others."

Lexa mind started to mull over the newest revelation about Jesse. Her conscious mind stopped her however. She knew how Jesse felt about her. She knew that she cared about him, but she wasn't ready to examine all those feelings just yet. Breaking her mental trance, she looked to Shalimar. "Hey, guys. How long has it been since Jesse went into The Cave?"

Shalimar checked Brennan's watch. "Almost two hours." She thumbed her comring. "Hey Jess – you there?"

There was no answer. Shalimar tried again, but with the same result.

Brennan rubbed her back. "Hey, he said that the comrings might not work away from the hole in the grid. We'll just have to wait a little longer."

"But what if he can't get the grid open? He was able to phase down, but there's no way he could phase back up into the house."

"Hey – this is Jess we're talking about. He's hacked into countless military databases, company records and even Adam's personal files. He'll do it. We just have to wait," Brennan reassured her.

Silence filled the room. Katie, ever the peacemaker and hostess, grabbed a board game off Jesse's dresser. "Hey, who's up for a game of Life?"

Brennan burst out laughing. Shalimar and Lexa soon followed, both of them recognizing the irony of the question.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 

Jesse typed in a series of pass codes, hoping that this was the final series required to get past the last firewall Adam had installed. Hitting return, he glanced at one of the other monitors for the response.

"Aaarrrrgh! Damn it, Adam! I didn't think you were _this_ paranoid!" Instead of green code indicating the security grid was ready for instruction, Jesse was confronted with more yellow text requesting more codes. He gave an exasperated sigh, and focused on carefully reading the encrypted lines of code and entering the proper pass codes at the proper time.

He was getting sick of this. Not even The Rock had such stringent security measures. It had been more than three hours and his eyes and back were starting to hurt, the latter because he'd been standing still for almost two hours, and the former because he'd had to turn the flashlight of half an hour ago when he noticed the light beginning to dim. He still needed the light to get him through the tunnels when he was done, so he'd turned it off, relying on the dim light of the monitors to guide his actions. It was one of the few times he wished that he had active powers like Brennan's or Lexa's so he could create his own light source. Making everything more uncomfortable was the fact that his ankle still hurt, and he was essentially standing on one foot.

Finally, he finished the latest round of codes. Running a hand over his jaw for the umpteenth time, he muttered, "Here goes..." and hit return. Looking over to the far monitor, he gave a shout and slapped his hands together. "Finally! Thank you!" The monitor was displaying a dialogue box within the security system that was open for instruction. He made quick work of disengaging the security grid that covered the door and gave instructions for it to open. In the spacious and hollow caves he heard the echo of locks cycling open. Swiftly he enabled the security pads that had been installed inside and outside the door, then programmed the doors to open with only a specific code he created. He closed the security files, reactivating a few of Adam's firewalls, grabbed the flashlight and the diagram and moved toward the door.

When he reached the open door, Jesse took a deep breath. Even though the vents had been activated, the cool fresh air felt good in his lungs and on his skin. Noticing the darkness, he glanced at his watch. Jeez, 12:30 am. No wonder he was tired; he'd been up since 5:30 am, and a lot had happened today. He quickly stepped outside, closing and locking the door, then engaging the stealth cameo that hid the door, which had been carved into the side of a steep hill in a small glade on the Kilmartin property. Once he had done that, Jesse turned around, paused a moment, then swore.

"Way to think about details, man," he said to himself, letting his shoulders slump and shaking his head. He had been so focused on getting there and getting the grid open, that he forgot to arrange for a pick up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his comring. For a moment he pondered calling Brennan for a ride, but then thought better of it. They were probably already asleep; no one had gotten much rest the night before. It was only half a mile to the house, and his ankle wasn't hurting nearly so bad, now that he had it moving again. Jesse shrugged to himself. The sooner he got back to the house, the sooner he could take a shower and get some sleep. Taking a step up the slope, he started back toward the house.  
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"Let me get this straight. There are four categories of mutants: psionic, feral, elemental and molecular. You're a feral, Brennan and Lexa are elementals and Jesse's a molecular. Do you guys have psionic on your team somewhere? You know, just so you have all four?"

Shalimar's face fell for a moment, remembering. "We did. Her name was Emma DeLauro – she was a telempath psionic – she could sense and influence emotions. She, uh, she died last year when Genomex was destroyed." She ran her finger along rim of the coffee mug she held in her hand. "We miss her, but we've moved on. We had to."

"I'm sorry." Katie took a sip from her own mug. She and Shalimar were sitting on the couch in her spacious office. It was the only room in the house, she said, that actually felt lived in. Looking over at the table on the other side of the room, she saw that Lexa and Brennan were childishly arguing over which number the spinner from the game had landed on. She smiled briefly, remembering the numerous times she and Jesse had done the same thing. Brennan and Lexa had used her computer to place orders for some equipment and then settled to play the game, despite her and Shalimar's declinations to play. "Genomex. That was the place that used mutants for more genetic experimentation, right?"

Shalimar shook her head to toss her mane of blond hair out of her eyes. "Yeah. It was also the place where I first met Jesse. Adam and I pulled him out of there about 7 years ago."

Katie considered this, anguished that her brother had been subjected to such treatment. Shalimar had told her about Adam and Sanctuary and the mutant underground, but there was obviously a lot that she still didn't know. "And Father sent Jesse away more than 8 years ago. Do you think that Jesse was there the whole time?"

Shalimar hesitated for a moment, but nodded. "Jesse was there for 17 months. It took him over a month to recover, even with all the advanced medical equipment Adam had."

Katie swore, apparently startling Shalimar, who hadn't heard the young woman swear the entire evening. Noticing Shalimar's look, Katie gave a sigh and settled back into the soft couch cushion. "I knew that Father disliked Jesse, but I never thought he'd do such a thing to his own son."

Shalimar didn't say anything. She knew a bit about fathers not caring properly for their offspring. It disgusted her that Noah could have despised his own son, especially since Jesse was so smart and enthusiastic. She looked up as she felt Brennan approach. He had settled himself on the back of the couch over her shoulder. "Hey kiddies – did you decide if it was a 5 or a 3?"

Brennan glanced over to Lexa, who had settled into a plush chair that matched the couch. Her face was expressionless. He looked back to Shalimar. "Let's just say we called it a draw before it got a little brighter in here." He now shifted his gaze to Katie, whose statement had drawn him and Lexa over here. "Why did your dad not like Jesse?"

"For a lot of reasons, I think. Most of all though, he was always a control freak, and kept getting frustrated and angry every time Jesse had one of his 'accidents.' Then there was the fact that Jesse was grandpa's favorite. Jesse's a lot like grandpa, who was kind to a fault. Father was always a little more ruthless. I'm sure there were a host of other reasons." She paused for a moment, fiddling with her mug. "What exactly happened two years ago?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It might help me understand why dad suddenly turned over everything to me."

"Well, Jess and I were leaving a night club when he ran into your dad, who, uh, slipped a disc into Jesse's pocket. Later he contacted him and told him that the disc contained information about a suspicious accident at Nexxogen. It turned out that Nexxogen was not only linked to Genomex, but also funded by them. When Noah was fired, he stole the information about the accident intending to use it to blackmail the GSA. They didn't take to kindly to it. Jesse gave your dad the benefit of the doubt, but it turned out that Noah was just using Jesse as a place to hide the dist while the heat was on. Jesse and I managed to save your dad from the GSA and Jesse destroyed the disc. We haven't heard from him since."

Throughout Brennan's account of the events, Katie had been nodding her head, comparing them with the ones she had experienced. "I hate to say it, but I'm not surprised that Father did something like that. I told you he was a control freak. Things always had to be his way. Sometimes I think that he just married my mother so he could get his hands on grandpa's companies. After Grandpa died, that's exactly what happened. But what I don't understand is why he signed over all control to me. I can understand him going into hiding while the pressure was on, but why hasn't he come back?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't know if you'll ever find out," Shalimar said sadly. She reached to put her mug on the coffee table, but froze.

Brennan and Lexa were familiar with the look on her face. "What is it Shal?"

"Shhh…Someone's approaching the house." Shalimar darted up from her seat and headed down the stairs. The others followed close behind. Once they reached the entryway, Shalimar stopped and gave a relieved sigh. "It's Jesse."

After she said that, the others looked up at the front door just in time to see Jesse phase through it. Katie blinked her eyes a moment, still not used to the idea of her brother being able to walk through walls at will.

Brennan reached out a hand and Shalimar slung an arm around his shoulders by way of greeting. "What took you so long, Jess? You were gone almost four hours. We were starting to worry."

Jesse shrugged. "Adam had installed more firewalls and code than I thought he would. Then I had to walk back."

"Why didn't you call us, man? We would have picked you up."

Again, Jesse shrugged. "I thought you guys might be asleep by now. Plus I needed to stretch out after being still for so long. Hey, first thing we bring down there is a chair, all right?"

Shalimar snickered. "You mean Adam forgot to leave a chair? Sounds like something he would do."

"Yeah, well, next time I see him I'm going to give him what-for about that."

With that simple sentence, Jesse reminded them all that there was still a lot to do, but also that they _would_ be successful. His next sentence, reminded them that there were some more immediate concerns.

"Hey, Katie, do you think it would be possible to get something to eat. I'm starving."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Brennan, no! Wait!"

Lexa's warning came too late. There was a brilliant blue flicker of electricity, followed by a bright flash of sparks and a crackling sound.

Jesse looked up from the computer he'd just installed. Shalimar looked over from the sheet of catwalk she was carrying into the room. Both saw Lexa coming up from a crouch and Brennan shying away from a panel in the wall.

"I told you to wait until I completed the connections before you juiced the generator."

"You said you were done!"

I said 'almost done," Brennan. 'Almost done.'"

Brennan shrugged. "Sorry."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are. You almost electrocuted me!"

"Do Shalimar and I need to put you two on a time out?"

Both Lexa and Brennan looked guiltily up at Jesse. "No," they mumbled, followed by apologies to each other.

Jesse put down the keyboard he had been holding. "Look guys, it's getting late, why don't you go back to the house. Grab something to eat, maybe? I'm almost done here. I'll be up in an hour or two."

Down the hall, Shalimar fitted the last piece of catwalk into place. Returning to the room, she said, "That sounds like a good idea. We've been down here since 6 this morning and it's almost 8 o'clock." She looked over to Brennan for his opinion.

Brennan nodded. He was getting tired, given the 18-hour days they'd been pulling for the past 9 days. They had almost all the equipment in place, and it was just a matter of installing it and taking care of the details. He was working on the last series of electrical connections, which were proving a bit temperamental.

Shalimar turned back to Jesse. "You promise that you'll be up to the house in an hour or two. Last time you said that, you were gone almost four hours. I don't want to have to come and drag you back."

"You won't have to. I promise."

"All right then." Shalimar grabbed the sleeve of Brennan's shirt and dragged him toward the entrance. As she passed Lexa, she paused. "You coming?" she asked quietly.

Lexa shook her head. "I'm going to stay. I'm almost done with all the welding."

Shalimar followed Lexa's gaze and saw Jesse, who had picked the keyboard again and was focused on the monitors. "Keep an eye on him? Make sure he leaves?"

Lexa looked back to Shalimar's eyes. "I was planning on it."

Feeling assured, Shalimar started to push Brennan towards the entrance once again. Come on, big boy. Let's go see if we can rustle up some grub. Then maybe we can get some sleep."

"Can I sleep with you? There're monsters under my bed." Brennan gave her a sly smile.

Shalimar gave an exaggerated sigh. "I guess so. I'm sure I'll find some way of making you feel better."

"I sure hope so."

Lexa watched them leave, smiling at their use of double entendres. She spared another glance over at Jesse before grabbing a pair of welder's glasses from the pile of tools on the floor and moving to weld the last piece of catwalk into place.

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From the corner of his eye, Jesse watched Shalimar and Brennan leave. Lexa didn't, however. He saw her glance over at him before returning to the welding she had been doing earlier in the day.

Jesse huffed. Lexa was probably still here so she could keep an eye on him. They probably all expected him to snap. He knew that he had been more reserved and terse than usual, though he had made an effort not to be.

Jesse continued his work with the keyboard, opening and closing files, activating, updating and transferring software.

He supposed he couldn't be mad at his friends though. They were concerned. Almost every morning he was asked how he was feeling, or if he wanted to come with one of them to pick up some equipment, and get out of The Cave, as they had unofficially dubbed it. Jesse had politely refused each time. He wanted to get everything set up, and quickly. Meanwhile, they were tip-toeing around him, even Katie, who had been doing her own work, but visited on occasion, seeing if there was anything she could do to help. Rebuilding his relationship with Katie was something else he wanted to do, but knew that, given the grand scheme of things, it would have to be put on the back burner.

The sooner Sanctuary and the medbay were established, the sooner he could get to work on Adam's files about their genetic instability. Something told him that they didn't have much time on that front. Keeping busy had helped him push that little nagging into the corner of his mind. He was satisfied with the pace they had established. The infrastructure was now all in place; Lexa, he could see, was finishing the welding. Brennan was almost done with the electrical systems. Shalimar had set up a dojo – she insisted that she needed someplace to release some energy – and helped the others drag in the furniture. He had adjusted and set up the security systems, allowing the other three to gain access. In addition to re-establishing many of Adam's safeguards, he had added some new ones of his own. Pretty much all that remained was to shift things around to their desired position. Well, that and go grocery shopping. Right now though, he wanted to finish tying in Adam's medical records into the new system so that he could get a fresh start tomorrow on his own research.

A little more than an hour later, the computer finally gave him the message he wanted: "Upload Complete." Shutting down the system, he glanced up to where he had last seen Lexa. She wasn't there. Hitting the last keystroke, he moved around the terminal and headed into the main cavern. On the left side of his vision, he caught sight of a dark head against a sofa situated in the middle of the room. As he approached, he noticed that she hadn't turned to face him. Lexa was usually very alert, even while she was relaxed. She must be asleep, he realized. He hadn't known she was that tired. He softened his steps. Coming around the corner of the sofa, he knelt down to her side, intending to gently wake her, but he froze.

She was so beautiful. Whether she admitted it or not, she had so many emotions, and each one changed her face. Each one was beautiful, and each one melted his heart. He had seen her when she was angry, when she was afraid, sorrowful, bleak, joyful, lost and sarcastic. But he had never seen her asleep. Not unconscious, but the peaceful, relaxed state of healthy sleep. He felt a familiar tightness in his chest. He admired her abilities, but it was moments like this, where she seemed to need someone else, that really got to him. He reached out to touch her, running a light hand across her brow, and brushing aside a stray lock of hair. "Will you stay?" he whispered to her slumbering form. "I don't want you to go."

After a few more moments of watching her sleep, Jesse gave her arm a light shake. "Lex, come on. Time to go."

Her eyes opened slowly, and then blinked a few times to clear the cobwebs of sleep. Finally focusing on him, she gave a half smile. "Sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep. What time is it?"

"It's only been an hour since Brennan and Shalimar left. I kept my promise. Now come on, let's get back to the house before they send out a search party anyway."

Lexa allowed him to help her up and lead her toward the door. He wasn't letting go of her hand, she noted, glancing at her left hand in his right. And she didn't want him to, she realized. His large hand was warm and comfortable. It was something stable amidst all the turmoil. Just like him. She didn't know when it happened, but at some point during her adventures with Mutant X, Jesse had become an anchor. He was a steady force, and his sweet dedication and enthusiasm was a wonderful contradiction from the people and life in which she had grown up. She kept telling herself that it couldn't last. That something would happen to tear them apart, so she shouldn't get involved. But she wanted too. Arrghh! The thoughts were running through her head and every time she thought she had made a decision, something happened to screw it up, sending her mind spinning again. For now, she would just wait, she decided. Something was sure to happen soon that would tip the scales. Then she would make her final decision.

By now, the two mutants had made their way to the entrance. Jesse paused for a moment to reengage the security systems, never letting go of her hand, and they continued on their way back to the house.

Jesse was surprised that she hadn't withdrawn her hand. Other times when he had initiated contact, Lexa had pulled away after a few moments. He liked holding her hand. Absently, he began rubbing his thumb along hers. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Lexa shifted her attention from their joined hands to his face. "Yeah, why?"

"You just seem unusually quiet."

"You'd prefer a noisy chatterbox?"

Jesse chuckled. "No, no. It's just that besides arguing with Brennan or talking to Katie a couple times, you haven't said much." After Lexa didn't answer, he continued. "We never really talked about what happened at Dominion headquarters."

"Jess, I told you. You're not exactly a closed book."

Jesse gave her a sad smile. "No, not about that. Believe me, as much as I'd like to define what's between us, and get it out in the open, I don't think I could handle it right now. There are too many other things that have to take priority right now. I meant about what your contact told you."

She sighed. "I don't know. It's hard to deal with, knowing that I was a different person at one point, someone I don't even remember being. I mean, what if I become that person again?"

Jesse squeezed her hand. "I don't think that's even possible. You're stronger now than you were then. And you have friends. We won't _let _anything happen to you."

She paused. "Logically, I know that's true, but it's still hard for me to accept it. Hell, who knows, I might expire before that anything like that happens."

"Hey, hey, we don't know when your date is. It might not be for another 20 or 30 years."

"No, Jesse. When I was captured, I was taken in front of one of the council meetings. They told me that their tests and Adam's research showed that my expiry date was coming up soon."

Jesse abruptly stopped walking. He looked Lexa in the eye. "Did they say exactly when it was?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, damn it!" When he saw Lexa's startled expression at his outburst, Jesse closed his eyes, making an effort to calm himself. The deadline for finding how he had been cured was looming ever more. "I need to know how much time I have to find that cure. Did they say when?"

"No, just 'soon.'" Her free hand reached out to touch his cheek. Tipping her head back a little, she leaned in and touched her lips to his, pulling back before either of them gave in to the desire to deepen the kiss. "Thank you," she whispered against his mouth as she drew back.

"For what?" he whispered back, running the tip of his tongue over his lips to savor the kiss.

"For tipping the scales." At Jesse's confused look, she smiled softly at him and gently shook her head. "Come on," she said, squeezing his hand and giving it a small tug. "Let's get back to our friends."


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** Sorry for the late update. was doing some work on the document manager, so I couldn't update. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. Some of the big stuff is yet to come!

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**Chapter 14**

"Okay, well, thanks for keeping your eyes and ears open. Yeah, we'll be in touch. Stay safe." Shalimar pressed a button on the cell phone, ending the call that had been held on a secure, scrambled phone line. "Jason says his contacts and circle of friends hasn't seen or heard anything about the Dominion for days. He even said it was kind of creepy, since there was so much activity two weeks ago, and now there's nothing."

"Never thought I'd be anxious for the Dominion to make a mistake. Okay, you've called Jason, Allie, Rick, Sheena and Paul. I've called Sean, Melissa, Rachel, and Mike. Is there anyone we forgot?"

"There's got to be… Oh, Kelley!"

"I'm on it." Lexa started searching the memory for Kelley's number. Finding it, she dialed and held the phone to her ear.

"Hey guys, any luck?" Shalimar looked up to see Brennan enter the room. Lexa moved over to the side of the room so he and Shalimar could talk.

Shalimar looked up to Brennan's face. "Not yet. Lexa's calling Kelley right now. How's Jesse."

"He's still in his zone. He's been in the medbay for four days. I took him food though. If he doesn't eat it this time, I'll shove it down his throat."

"I think he's feeling a little guilty about his genetic structure being fixed and not ours."

"Yeah, I guess. But he should ease up a bit. You know, take a break. Hey, tomorrow I'll drag him out of there and we'll shoot some hoops, even if he's not done with whatever he's working on. Hell, I'll even play soccer with him."

"Shal, Brennan…Kelley says he's got a lead for us. We can meet him behind The Phoenix Club sometime between 11:00 and 12:00 tonight."

"All right, then." Brennan checked his watch. "Eesh…we'll have to leave now if we want to make it."

Brennan called out to Jesse that they were leaving, and then the three of them took off.  
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* * *

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"Mrroooow."

"I swear, Shal, if that cat doesn't take a hike, I can't be held responsible for my actions." Brennan and Shalimar were mingling among the crowd at the door of the Phoenix Club. They were standing close enough to the alleyway that they could easily look down it occasionally and check the back door for their contact.

"Mreooow."

"That's it," Brennan growled.

Shalimar heard the telltale sizzle of Brennan's tesla coil and from the corner of her eye she saw a short blue arc of electricity connecting with a metal trashcan across the alley. A meow of protest and a clatter followed.

"Oh, leave it be. It's just a feral cat." She turned into him, reaching one hand into his hair, the other to his collar. "You like ferals, don't you?"

"I sure do." Brennan nuzzled her neck, dropping a kiss on her neck. "There's one in particular that I can't get out of my mind." He kissed his way up her neck, briefly pausing to nibble her earlobe, finally, to Shalimar's delight, reaching her lips, which he captured with reckless abandon. There was no way to describe the way she tasted, he thought. She was familiar, she was home. But she was new every time he touched her, kissed her, and he was addicted to the sensation.

"Hey guys, I hate to break up your little, uh, session, but our contact just stepped out the door." Lexa's voice emanated softly from both their comrings. She was positioned on the street at the other end of the alley.

Brennan reluctantly pulled away and dropped his forehead to Shalimar's. "I swear, Jesse and Lexa seem to have _the worst_ timing."

"Yeah, I know. We'll finish this later," she purred. Then, glancing down the alleyway, she pulled Brennan around the corner and down the alleyway. "We see him," was the reply to Lexa.

Brennan, with his higher vantage point, made a cursory sweep of the alleyway as he and Shalimar approached the man.

"You Shalimar?" the young man asked. He was of average height, with a stocky build. His hair was shorn close to his head, making him look as if he were a bouncer from the club.

"Yeah, are you Kellogg?" He nodded. "What have you got for us?"

"It's a disc, but I'm not sure exactly what's on it." He began to meticulously pat his pockets. "I know I have it somewhere. My cousin and I worked for the Dominion. He was a programmer, I was on security. When the place went down a couple weeks ago, I got out, but Jake stayed. A few days ago, he drops by my place with this disc." He fingered the disc in his pocket, but remembered that this disc was a decoy. The real disc had been put into one of the less obvious pockets of his clothing, but he couldn't remember which one. "Says if anything happens to him, I should take it to something called Mutant X. I haven't heard from him or been able to get a hold of him since, so I put in a word to Kelley.

"Well, thanks. I hope you find your cousin.

"I hope he's okay. Things were getting really creepy in there just before –"

Kellogg didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. Shalimar cried, "Down!" and a split second latter a series of bullets passed by them. They dashed behind a dumpster. Finding the source of the shots, Brennan let loose several bolts of electricity. Unfortunately, they seemed to have no effect on the men, who continued their barrage of fire.

"Damn it. They've got power suits on."

"Well, at least we know we're on the right track. The Dominion's the only one's who have suits like that."

"Lot of good that does us right now." Brennan fired another tesla coil, aiming for the unprotected head and weapon, and managed to disable one of the men. "Got any ideas?"

Kellogg poked his head out, but quickly drew it back in to avoid a round of fire. "Damn it," he swore. "It's a retrieval squad. They're sent to eliminate security risks, and they're damn good at their job." He patted his pockets frantically, finally locating and pulling out a small computer disc. "Here it is. Take it, quick!"

Shalimar tucked the disc into her jacket pocket. Brennan saw her eyes flash yellow as she used her heightened senses to sweep the alleyway. "There's a narrow path. Lexa, it's down the south side of the alleyway. Do you think you can give us some cover?"

"I see it and I'm on it."

Brennan and Shalimar saw a beam of light shoot its way towards the balcony on which the men were standing. However, instead of aiming for the men as Brennan had, she aimed for the metal supports holding the balcony in place. In a few short seconds, the beam had heated the supports enough for them to give way, causing the fire escape to fold down, dumping the men into the alley below. The moment the men began to fall, Shalimar and Brennan took off, Brennan pushing Kellogg in front of him. They darted over the miscellaneous trash on the ground, making their way to the other end of the alley, where they could make a clear escape into the crowded street.

The men who had been dumped 15 feet onto the ground below were obviously well trained. Within moments, they resumed their fire, even as they climbed to their feet. Their weapons were designed for public close-quarter contact. They fired short laser bursts, leaving scorch marks on the brick walls of the alley rather than bullets, which could be traced and would create questions with the local law enforcement agencies. The men focused on their mission – eliminate the target and retrieve the disc. It didn't matter that they had known the target, and had worked with him. The man was a security risk and must be handled appropriately. One of the men let loose a series of carefully targeted shots, which landed precisely where he meant them to – in the middle of the traitor's back. One shot had strayed, hitting in the arm the other man who was racing out of the alley. That man tried to help the traitor along, but gave up and continued running when he realized he was already dead. That the others had escaped was of no concern, there had been no time to make the exchange. The main objective had been achieved. He held up his left hand in the signal to cease fire. "The target is down. Commence extraction and retreat," he whispered into the communications radios.

Silently, one of the other men approached the dead man, patting his pockets until he found an unlabeled computer disc. "Got it, sir."

"Good, leave the body for the locals. Let's move."  
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* * *

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Lexa, Brennan and Shalimar didn't speak until they reached their transport. They had silently made their way through the throng of Friday-night party-goers, slowing their pace to blend in at times, sprinting across empty lots at others.

"Where's Kellogg?" Lexa queried as she jumped into the driver's seat.

"He's dead. Bastards nailed him right in the back."

Shalimar nodded. She had known Kellogg was dead when Brennan caught up with her. She hadn't heard a fourth pair of pounding feet, and had smelled the stench that she had come to associate with the moment of death.

"Damn it. Did you get the information?" Lexa started the vehicle, moving out of the parking lot and onto the streets.

Shalimar pulled the disc out of her pocket and handed it to Lexa. "Yeah. He finally found it. What do you think is on it?"

"I don't know, but I hope it was worth his life."

"Me too." Shalimar twisted in her seat to look at Brennan, who was in the back seat. "Brennan, where'd you get hit?"

Brennan looked up. He contemplated denying any injury, but discarded that idea when he saw Shalimar tap her nose. She had smelled his blood. "It's just a nick on the arm. It's the same damn arm those dominion creeps hit last time, too. The bleeding's already stopped, though."

Satisfied, Shalimar turned back around in her seat. The three of them sat in silence the rest of the way back to The Cave, each of them cursing the Dominion in their own way for its most recent transgression.

Twenty-three minutes later, at 1:48 am, they walked into the main cavern, Lexa heading toward one of the terminals, Shalimar leading Brennan towards medbay so she could wash and bandage his wound. Shalimar was thankful that Jesse was no longer there; the man had been working almost non stop for days and he needed to rest. He must have gone back to the mansion for the night.

Out in the main room, Lexa placed the small disc into the computer drive. The first thing she noticed was that the information was both encrypted and scrambled. She hadn't expected anything different, but she could always hope. Making several copies of the information, she placed them in numerous places in the computer system, then tucked the disc back into her pocket. She'd have Katie put it in the safe, just in case. Right now, though, all Lexa wanted to do was get back to the mansion and get some shut-eye.

At about 9 o'clock the next morning Shalimar, Lexa and Brennan were hanging out in the kitchen as they watched Katie cook breakfast for them all. They had all offered to help, but Katie refused, stating that she'd probably just trip over them if they did, despite the large size of the room. So the three mutants had contented themselves with sitting at the counter, nibbling on a fruit plate.

Lexa plucked a grape from the dish. "Hey, Katie, have you seen Jesse this morning. I knocked on his door on the way downstairs, but didn't get an answer.

Brennan shrugged. "Maybe he's still sleeping."

"No," Katie said, slipping more bread into the toaster. "He went down to The Cave early this morning. I ran into him while I was getting my coffee. He had a piece of toast in his mouth and an orange in his hand." She shrugged. "At least he's eating."

Shalimar moved towards the door. "I'm going to go and drag his ass back here. He's been shutting people out too much lately. It's not normal for him. He needs some people time."

However, before she could make it to the doorway, the object of their discussion burst into the room.

Shalimar took in his wild hair and wide eyes. "Jesse, what's wrong?"

Jesse looked each one in the eye as they took a concerned step toward him. He held up a hand, his mouth working as he tried to figure what exactly he would say. He closed his eyes, then reopened them.

"Jess, what is it?"

He tilted his head and said in an amazed voice, "Adam didn't fix my genetic structure."

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**AN:** Well, as you can see, a bit of a cliffhanger here…the big stuff is coming up and there will be answers! Hold on for the ride…it's going to get a little complicated! Again, thank you all for the reviews! They make it all worthwhile.


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: **Evil cliffhanger, huh? Well, here come answers! I can't believe how long this story has become. My best estimate has the story lasting about 25 chapters, so there's a way to go yet!

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Chapter 15**

_The night before…_

Jesse tapped his fingers against the counter impatiently. When all this was over, 'this' being the issue of the expiry dates and Adam's kidnapping, if he ever saw another computer terminal it would be too soon.

He had spent the last four days digging up and analyzing Adam's records of his research on their genetic structures. Adam had made it somewhat simple, he supposed. The geneticist had kept meticulous records. He had noted biological and chemical statistics - in blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, hemoglobin, adrenaline and other hormones – all hoping they would prove useful. Furthermore, he had made an active effort to apply each test to at least three of them, never using more than one of them as a control. It had proved useful because he could eliminate many of the tests; tests in which he was the control subject could be eliminated as the cause for his stabilization. Furthermore, he was focusing on the experiments of the past two and half years. That was the last time Adam had run an absolute, controlled test of each of their genetic structures. His structure had been unstable at that time, so the 'cure' had come sometime after that. Eliminating, or rather setting aside these tests in case his reasoning was flawed, left him with 51 possibilities.

He had developed a logical system. For each of these experiments he had compared the results for all of the test subjects side by side. His screen displayed horizontal rows of test results, with column headings of 'Jesse,' 'Shalimar,' 'Emma,' 'Brennan,' and 'Lexa.' Lexa and Emma had never been tested simultaneously for anything, and Lexa was only involved in the last few tests, but he kept all five up at once just to be safe. His biggest problem now was that there were so much data and so many tests that it was taking him days to go through it all. He was working with test 48 now. If he didn't find anything soon, he'd have to start all over.

At one point Brennan came in, a tray of food in hand. "Brain food, man," he said.

Jesse had mumbled his thanks, barely looking up.

"Hey, Jess. You've been spending a little too much time in here. Maybe later we could go shoot some hoops or something. It'll clear the cobwebs in your brain, help you think better when you get back."

Jesse looked up. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was paler than normal. He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. "You're right, man. I've just got a couple more tests to run through. Then I'll need to relax a little bit because I'll have to figure out where I went wrong."

Brennan recognized Jesse's need to finish his project. "All right, bro. I'll leave you to it. But I'm holding you to some hoops later."

"Deal."

Though Brennan's interruption had at first been unwelcome, the reminder that he still had close friends that needed his help had energized him. A few moments later, he heard Brennan call out that they had gotten a lead and were leaving. He shouted back a reply, but kept his eyes on the screen, still going over the test results. At one point he had given in to his hunger and consumed the turkey sandwich and apple juice that Brennan had left behind.

Two hours later he finished going through the results of the 51st and final test in his data set. He hadn't found anything. Not a single errant result that may indicate it was the cause of his stabilization. Brennan was right, he realized. He needed some rest. Maybe then his brain would clear and he'd have a better chance of finding the answer. They others hadn't returned, so he left the cave and headed back up the mansion by himself.  
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The next morning hadn't proved any more fruitful. He had managed to get almost six hours of sleep before his restless mind had pulled him from slumber, demanding that he return to his work. So far, he had reviewed his notes and hadn't found even a clue to something he may have missed. He tossed the notepad across the room. "Damn it!" he swore, slamming his hand down on the counter top, upending the tray of dishes he had left in the room the night before. The glass and plate landed heavily on the floor, cracking in to several pieces each. The plastic tray landed jauntily on top of the mess.

Letting loose a curse that he didn't think he'd ever said aloud before, Jesse knelt and swiped his hands across the floor to clean up the mess. He stopped short and swore again when he felt something slice into his palm. Holding his hand up, he saw that a piece of the glass had cut into his hand.

Jesse forced himself to slow down. He couldn't help anyone if he rendered himself useless. He wiped away some of the blood from his hand with the tail of his shirt. The cut wasn't too deep, but he should put something on it. He looked around for the dermal sealant, but then remembered glumly that it was one of the items still on their shopping list. Deprived of the sealant, he phased his injured hand through a cupboard, pulling out a box of less technological, yet always effective, band-aids.

Unwrapping one, he moved to place it on his palm, but froze. The cut looked smaller. Frowning, Jesse studied his hand. Curious, he phased his hand. Then he massed it. He phased it again. And he watched as the cut grew smaller, becoming a small nick before disappearing completely.

Jesse stared at his hand in awe, running his fingers over the formerly injured area. His hands stilled as he realized what he was looking at. That realization led to another, then another, and another. His eyes widened. "Oh, my God…"

Forgetting the band-aid, Jesse hurriedly turned back to the computer, searching for one particular data set. Where was it?! There, the 44th test – the addition of another C-G base pair to gene 938. He compared the effect of the test in himself, Shalimar and Emma. Brennan had been the control for the subject. There! There was an unexpected increase in one hormone in Jesse's system, but Adam had written it off as a harmless side effect. He hadn't considered that it might be the cure because it hadn't occurred in all three test subjects.

Jesse moved away from the computer and began to pace across the small room. Thinking back to events since that test, everything made sense. Bruises and cuts had healed quickly. He'd recovered from the bullet in only four days. Even the damage incurred from his recent run-in with the Dominion had healed in a day or two. He had just thought that the damage hadn't been as bad as he first thought.

Jesse drew a sample of his own blood and ran it through the analyzer. He searched out the altered gene. He examined the level of the hormone that had spiked after test 44. He checked his mutations. Everything fit. Everything further proved his theory.

Shit. How was he going to tell the others? His miraculous survival of his expiry date wasn't so miraculous at all. Furthermore, this test and its results couldn't be repeated on the others. They needed Adam more than ever now. Maybe he'd be able to do something with this new information.

He had to talk to the others. Now. He hadn't seen them last night and didn't know if their lead had panned out. He needed to tell them what he had found. Grabbing his jacket off of the recently installed chair, he dashed out of The Cave and up the hill to the mansion. He didn't even break stride as he entered, simply phasing through the walls to the room where he heard the voices. Finally seeing them, he slowed his steps. Katie was by the stove, Brennan and Lexa were sitting at the countertop and Shalimar was heading straight for him.

Shalimar stopped up short in front of him. She had been going somewhere. "Jesse, what's wrong?"

He didn't know how to start, how to explain.

Lexa stepped down from a bar stool. "Jess, what is it?"

Finally, he just let it out in the most straightforward way he could think of: "Adam didn't fix my genetic structure."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"What?!"

"What do you mean?"

"Wait, I don't understand."

The voices attacked Jesse simultaneously.  Brennan, Shalimar and Lexa started asking questions at lightening speed.  Jesse tried to calm them, but his own mind was still circling.  He couldn't hear what questions were being asked, let alone answer them.

After a few moments Katie, who had no idea what all the commotion was about, took control.  Placing two fingers in her mouth, she let loose a piercing whistle, effectively silencing the four mutants.

"I have no idea what's going on, but breakfast is ready.  We can all sit down at the table, and discuss this like grown-ups."  She handed a plate of scrambled eggs to Brennan and a platter of homemade cottage fries to Lexa.  "Shalimar if you'd be so kind as to grab the juice out of the fridge.  Jesse, have a seat.  You need more than toast and an orange at the rate you've been going."

Stunned into silence, the other four carried out her orders.  Once they were all seated at the circular breakfast table, Katie said.  "Now, Jesse, what the hell is this all about?"

"This has to do with our expiry dates."

Katie raised an eyebrow at Shalimar.  "And what exactly are those?"

Shalimar squirmed in her seat.  "Well, I told you that our powers are the result of unexpected mutations from Adam's genetic manipulation.  Later, Adam discovered that the mutations created instabilities in the genetic structures.   Basically, there's a date – the expiry date – when a mutant's genetic instability will cause them to self-destruct.  Jesse's date passed almost a month ago.  So, something happened to stabilize his structure."

Katie digested this new information.  She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.  She shifted her attention to her brother as he spoke.

Jesse had swallowed the toast he'd been eating.  "Right.  Turns out Adam knew the exact dates, but he never told us because he wasn't sure he'd solved the problem.  And he didn't."

Brennan piped in.  "But how is that possible?  Obviously, you're still alive."

"Well, that's where it gets a little tricky.  You see, the genetic structure of a mutant starts with –"

Lexa interrupted him.  "Jesse.  You're being cryptic again.  If Adam didn't fix your genetic structure, how did you survive your expiry date with an instable structure?"

Jesse wiped his hands on his napkin.  "Oh, I never said my structure wasn't stabilized.  It's completely stable.  It's just that Adam didn't do it.  I did."

Lexa's brow furrowed in confusion.  "Okay.  I lost you there.  You're going to have to explain this one."

Jesse noticed the new bandage on Brennan's arm, exposed by the sleeveless t-shirt he was wearing.  "It might be easier to show you."  He took a sip of juice from his glass as he stood.  Moving over to Brennan's side, he gently removed the bandage, exposing the raw wound.

"Jess, what are you doing?"  Brennan asked.  He and the others watched him with curious stares.

"Just watch."  Jesse placed his hand tightly over the wound in Brennan's arm.  He then phased both his own hand and part of Brennan's arm.  Then he quickly massed them.

"Ow.  That really hurts."  Brennan automatically flinched away

Jesse ignored the comment, tightening his grip on Brennan.  He phased the hand and arm once more before returning them to normal density.  "Oh, give it up.  It doesn't hurt that much."

"Maybe not to you.  You do it all the time.  For those of us who don't change our density on a regular basis it kind of stings.  Can I have my arm back?"

"Sure."  Jesse removed his hand.  He went over to his seat and sat down heavily.

The others looked at him.  "What was that all about?" Shalimar asked.

Jesse merely gestured to Brennan's arm.  Following his gaze, the others froze.

"How did you do that?"  Shalimar ran her fingers over the spot on Brennan's arm were the wound had been.  Now, though, the skin was smooth.  There was no trace of the nasty burn that had been there a few moments ago.  Brennan flexed and stretched his arm.  Even the slight nagging pain was gone.

"May I explain now?"

The others nodded, their attention rapt.

"Okay.  Now, as I was saying the genetic structure of a mutant starts with slow mutations.  They develop to the point of classification during puberty.  There's a second growth spurt for mutants when those growth hormones stop being produced, which usually happens in your 20s.  I think we all remember those."

The mutants at the table nodded.  Katie listened to the information, but also watched the others.  She was amazed.  These people had such different lives.  Not only did they have to deal with 'normal' things like money, food and shelter, but also they had to deal with a whole underground culture in which their very lives were in danger.  And not just from enemies but from their own bodies.

"Now, Adam ran a test about a month before he disappeared.  The test involved adding another C-G base pair to the 938th gene.  Brennan was the control for the test, so it wasn't added to his genetic sequence.  Emma and Shalimar didn't show any reaction at all.  It seemed like the additional amino acids acted any of the other thousands of base pairs on the human genome that don't seem to do anything.  My test results showed an increase in a pituitary hormone; Adam dismissed it because, as the youngest member of Mutant X at the time, I was likely still going through the end of the hormonal growth period.  From what I could tell, it was a completely random reaction; the extra base pair merely increased the amount of time the hormone prosoletine was in my system.

"Now, in a normal person, that wouldn't have been a problem.  The person would have ended up a little taller, or something.  In a mutant, however, the extra exposure to prosoletine increases their mutant abilities. In my case, since I'm a molecular, it makes sense that it would to amplify my ability to manipulate molecules.  It seems I now have the ability to manipulate and rearrange the molecules of the things, in addition to changing their density.  However, from what I can tell, it's limited to the human body.  I've had the ability for a year; it's just been so subtle that I never noticed or questioned it.

"And this is how you fixed own genetic structure."  Lexa had been following his explanation closely.

Jesse nodded.  "Subconsciously, I knew what my genetic structure needed to look like in order to be stabilized, and I knew what it was.  Ever since I learned about the instability of our genetic structures I'd been studying them.  I just didn't know how to fix it using technology.  But my subconscious did.  Every time I phased or massed – any time I actively used my powers, I was unconsciously readjusting my genetic structure.  A similar thing happened whenever I got injured.  After I got shot, I had completely recovered in four days, even though Doctor Robinson thought it would be two weeks.  After the Dominion torture session, my hand was a mass of bruises – but I had to do some phasing and massing later that night – and it helped.  The next day I could type just fine.  The only drawback is that it tires me out quickly and I need to sleep.  Hmm…I'm lucky I didn't accidentally 'fix' the mutation that gave me my powers.  Actually, I guess that would be impossible – the mutation couldn't fix itself."  Jesse's thoughts started to digress.

"How did you figure this out?  Like you said, Adam dismissed the test result as bogus.  How did you figure out what its real effects were?"  Katie seemed to be the only one capable of asking questions at this point.  The others were still processing the information, trying to get a grasp on how this would affect their lives and their mission.

Jesse's attention snapped back.  "Like most major scientific discoveries, it was an accident."  He shrugged sheepishly.  "I lost my temper and broke a dish.  I cut myself cleaning it up.  I phased my hand through the cupboard to get a band-aid.  When I took my hand out, I noticed the cut had gotten smaller."

Shalimar finally found her voice.  "Are you sure that's how your structure was fixed?"

"As sure as I can be without Adam's help.  I ran a dozen different tests half a dozen times, checking the structure.  Plus you saw the evidence for yourself."  He motioned to Brennan's arm.  "I guess it's a good thing – I can help other people and myself in fights.  But it means that Adam didn't find the cure.  I'm sorry, guys."

Brennan put his hand on Jesse's shoulder.  "Hey, it's not your fault."  He thought for a moment.  "You used your powers to heal the burn on my arm, right?"

Jesse looked at him as though he'd grown a second head.  "Yeah.  You saw me do it."

"Well, your 'new' power obviously can be transferred to other objects just like your phasing and massing.  Do you think you could do more?  I mean using your power to heal our genetic structures?"

The despair that had settled in Jesse's eyes lessened.  His eyes darted back and forth as his mind mulled over the proposition.  "It might be possible…" Jesse tapped his finger against his chin, but then his face fell.  "The problem is I don't know exactly how I fixed my genetic structure.  If it can be done by adjusting the bone marrow, the source of new blood, it might be possible… but it would take a significant amount of energy – it's such a detailed part of human anatomy, and it's even more complicated with mutants…  But if I had to go through every single cell, it would take an incredible amount of time and energy…And it would have to be done in a single session because non-moleculars can't withstand molecular manipulation of that kind for extended, repeated or prolonged periods of time.  If I tried that, and it took too long, I'd die from oxygen deprivation and energy loss before it was finished _and_ the patient would die too."

"Is there a way for you to find out how you did it?"

He let out a breath.  "I don't know, Shal.  But I'm going to do my best to find out."  Jesse tried to infuse his voice with enthusiasm, but found it difficult.  He had just spent days searching for an answer.  Instead, he had managed only to create more questions and take away the hope that they might be cured.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN:** Posting a little early today, since something came up and I've got to go.  I've gotten some great comments and reviews that have helped me a lot in my stories, and I was planning on responding to them in this chapter, but that will have to wait for tomorrow.

**Chapter 17**

The rest of breakfast had been eaten in silence.  After the dishes had been cleared, they headed back to The Cave to resume their work.  Shalimar and Brennan went to work taking care of some odds and ends, and finally settled in to work on the errant electrical system.  Katie had brought a box of her own work with her.  She was already attached to the members of Mutant X.  After having them in the house with her, she found that she missed them when they were away for most of the day.  Bringing her laptop and some of the legal documents she still had to review with her allowed her to surround herself with the homey feel that the others generated.  She liked the feeling and found that it existed even in times when they were stressed.

Jesse led Lexa to the medbay and spent the next several hours showing her the data from his investigation.  He patiently and forlornly outlined his research process, detailing his across the board comparisons.  She found no fault with his method of analysis.  If Adam had found a cure, she thought, it would have to have been one of these 51 tests.  Unfortunately, just as Jesse said, none of the tests indicated that they could stabilize their genetic structures.  In fact, just from her cursory examination of the results, it seemed that they were lucky that the only side effect had been an increase in Jesse's powers.

Lexa sat back in her seat, which she had dragged next to Jesse's.  "I understand how you found the prosoletine, but how are you going to find out which way you healed your structure?"

Jesse was silent for a moment, but then sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.  "To tell you the truth I don't even know if it's possible.  The best option would be to go over every single kilobyte of my medical records."  He shifted his hands to his pockets.  "I might get lucky and be able to determine the timetable for the stabilization, but the records are erratic and infrequent.  It's a crapshoot."

"What do you think the chances are?"

"I don't know."  Jesse put the tips of his fingers together, then tapped them against his chin.  He started to pace back and forth, but then returned to one of the three terminals he had been working from.

Lexa watched as he began to mumble to himself as he scanned through the files.  He was trying to estimate the number of times he'd had medical treatment or procedures since his new power developed.  She turned her attention to another computer, letting Jesse do his own thing.  He'd be incoherent until he found an answer.  Glancing at the icons on the screen, she found one that caught her attention.  She opened the file, scanning its contents.  When she realized what she was looking at, her blood began to boil.  He'd known!  He'd known and he hadn't told them!  Oh, she was going to give him a piece of her mind.  She turned to him, infuriated.

"I'll give you 48 hours to see what you can do.  After that, you've got to try it, whether you're ready or not."

 Jesse froze in mid-keystroke.  "What did you say?" he asked disbelievingly.

"You heard me.  Forty-eight hours then you've got to give it a shot."

"Lexa…"

"You knew!" she shouted, anger and accusation lacing her voice.  "You knew the dates and didn't bother to tell us!  What, you didn't think they were important?!"

"Lexa…"

"You didn't think that I would want to know that I'm going to die in three days?!"

"Lexa!  We don't know that the expiry dates are accurate.  Mine was the first and I passed it.  It may not have mattered that I healed my genetic structure.  We don't know what exactly will happen when an unstabilized mutant passes their expiry date."

"I saw the list."  She gestured to the file that was now showing on the screen of the first terminal.  "There are dozens of mutants between my date and yours.  Maybe we should ask them!"

"Damn it, Lexa!"  Jesse found his voice was rising to meet hers.  "Half of those mutants died before their date for one reason or another.  The other half are either in the mutant underground or God only knows were.  Either way, there's no way for us to know if they're still alive, let alone ask them!  We have to assume they're alive!"

"You bastard."  Her voice was down to a whisper now, but she was still spitting fire.  "We don't have to _assume_ anything.  You've got two days.  Then you'll do it."  She turned on her heel and stalked out of the room.

"Lexa!" he called to her retreating back.  He followed her out of medbay and into the main room.  "Don't ask me do this.  Don't ask me to kill you!"

Shalimar, Brennan and Katie, who were all working in the main room, looked up at the commotion.  They stilled in their work when they heard Jesse shout the frightful words.

"Hey, what's going on, guys?"  Brennan put down the conduit he was trying to rewire.

Lexa turned, but didn't stop.  Walking backwards, she said vehemently, "Ask Mr. Calendar here."  She turned back around and left the room.

The others turned their attention to Jesse.  "What's she talking about, Jess."  Shalimar's voice was soft.

Jesse said nothing for a few moments.  Then he let out a ragged breath and tried to run his fingers through his hair, once again thwarted by the shorter length.  "I'm going for a walk."  He left the room in the opposite direction.  A few moments later, they heard the clang of the metal catwalks as he thundered up the stairs and down the hall.

Katie stood, turned to Shalimar, silently seeking advice.  "Should I go after him?"

For a moment, Shalimar's lips pursed in thought.  "No.  Jesse's had outbursts like that before.  He just needs some time.  He'll calm down.  It's actually Lexa I'm worried about.  She's never blown up like that at Jesse."

"Do you mind if I…" Katie gestured in the direction Lexa had gone.

"No, go ahead."  Shalimar watched Katie disappear down the hall. 

Brennan looked down at Shalimar.  "What do you suppose that was all about?"

"My guess is Lexa pushed Jesse to work on her genetic structure.  But why would she do that?  I thought she and Jesse were…you know."

"I don't know."  Brennan moved into the medbay.  A half second later, Shalimar followed.  "Ah, that's why."  He sat down and began to scroll through the file.

Shalimar appeared over his shoulder.  "What is it?"

"It's Adam's list of our expiry dates.  Jesse never told us he found this.  Lexa's is in three days.  That's probably why she was all angry."

"What are you doing now?"

"Looking for ours.  Adam never told us he knew.  Jesse didn't tell us.  This might be our only chance to find out."

"Do we want to know, though?  What if Jesse can't help us?  We'd spend what's left of our lives worried about that day."

"Shal, if I only have a few days left, I want to make each one count."  He tugged her down into his lap and wrapped his arm around her waist.  He trailed his hand up to the back of her neck and pulled her down for a kiss.  Several moments later, he pulled away, giving her a half smile before turning his attention back to the computer.  "Ah, here you are.  Shalimar Danielle Fox, DSO-5837.  Danielle, huh?"  He smiled at her.  "Your date's not for another 5 ½ years.  It doesn't matter if Jesse can heal us or not.  That's plenty of time for him and Adam to find another way."

She smiled at him.  A small shadow cast itself over her eyes then.  "What about you?"

He turned back to the screen, scrolled through the list some more.  "Brennan Alexander Mulwray, GKL-5592.  Seventy-nine days from now."

He looked up into Shalimar's eyes.  He was moderately surprised to find them glistening with unshed tears.  "Hey, hey," he soothed.  He ran his thumb across her cheek.  "It's OK.  That's still enough time."

"I know, but…it just…" A single tear escaped and ran down her cheek.  Brennan wiped it away with his thumb.  She looked up to the ceiling and blinked, willing the tears to fade.   She twisted in his lap and looked back to his face.  Suddenly, fiercely, she swooped down, capturing his lips with hers.  She pulled him tightly against her.  She kissed him, angling her head, using her tongue, her lips, as if trying to get all of him at once.

Brennan, sensing and identifying with her desperation, allowed the kiss to consume him for a moment, but then pulled back.  He ran his hand along her spine, feeling her bare skin exposed by the small shirt she was wearing.  "It just what, Shal?"

She looked down, her gaze focusing on his chest.  "It feels like I just found you.  I don't want to lose you."  More tears escaped, running down to her chin, as she looked back to his face.

"Oh, Shal, baby."  Brennan's hand flitted across the planes of her face.  He wanted to touch her, to comfort her with his presence, but didn't know were to start.  "I will spend every single one of my 79 days by your side, loving you.  I love you, Shalimar Fox, for the next 79 days and beyond, whether that be in life or in death.  We will find Adam, and we _will_ find that cure.  And we'll both live until we're old and gray.  Okay?"

She nodded.  "I love you," she whispered.

He kissed her then, infusing it with his love, his concern, his hope and his desperation.  He could feel her hands tightening across the back of his neck and over his shoulder.  His own hands moved over her body, one settling on her breast and the other running up her leg, from her calf to her thigh.  He broke the kiss for a moment.  "Not here," was the throaty whisper.  "Your room." 

Her room was the only one that had been finished.  He led here there, never taking his hands off her.  They fell onto the bed, touching and loving each other, each comforting and giving hope to the other.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN:** Thanks for the reviews! They're as sweet as candy, but without all the calories. I'm so glad that people are liking this story. I'm amazed that some people get up early to read the story! I live in California, and post about 1 pm local time. Please, put comments or questions or suggestions in your reviews. I've found the one's I've gotten very helpful. And now, enjoy!****

******Chapter 18**

Two hours after the fight between Jesse and Lexa, Katie unlocked and opened the door to the mansion. Shrugging out of her jacket, she hung it up in the coatroom, grabbed the box containing the legal papers and her computer, and headed up to her office. Treading up the stairs and down the hall, she thought about the conversation she had had with Lexa. She had found the fuming elemental in what was to be her bedroom, aggressively setting up the furniture and bedding in the room.

_"He lied to me, Katie." She threw a pillow onto the bed. "How can I trust him after that?"_

_Katie felt she had do defend her brother. "I'm sure he's lied about things before."_

_"Of course he has. But they were little things, or for missions. Otherwise, he's always told me the truth, especially the big things. And don't think that just because he neglected to tell me at all doesn't make it a lie. The sin of omission is just as bad as the sin of commission."_

_"Lexa. You worked for the Dominion, right? They had secret agendas. How many times did you not tell, or flat-out lie to Jesse about something?"_

_"Those were mission related. Mostly."_

_"You can't have a double standard, Lexa. If Jesse didn't tell you about it, it was for a reason."_

_"He should have trusted me enough to let me make the decision!"_

_"You didn't trust him to make that decision when you let yourself be captured by the Dominion! Trust sounds like a big issue between you two, but I don't know enough about your relationship. Hell, I don't know enough about my brother, since I haven't seen him in 8 years. But you've got to remember that not all lies are malicious. Sometimes people lie or hide the truth to protect the ones they love. Jesse had a reason for what he did. You should talk to him about it."_

_Lexa had calmed down some by this point and she reflected on what Katie had said. "You're right. You're so damn optimistic-"_

_"You have to be. Sometimes it's the only thing that will get you through."_

_"- You remind me of Jesse."_

Katie reached her office. She locked her computer in her desk, making sure to set it on its charger. Then she put the box of legal papers in the office safe. She left the room, locking the door out of a habit learned from living with roommates and many years in a wealthy Philadelphia home. She started down the hallway to her room, but froze when she heard a noise coming from one of the other rooms in the hallway. It couldn't be Josie – it was almost 9 o'clock, and Josie always retreated to her home in the dowager cottage by 8. Cautiously following the source of the sound, she came to a familiar door. All tension drained when she realized where she was, but still, she opened the door slowly.

As she had suspected Jesse was in his old room. He was sitting on the floor, below one of the World Cup posters, his back to the wall. The noise she had heard was a rubber bouncy ball he had been tossing across the room. She knew how he got past the security system, but didn't bother to ask how he had gotten through the locked doors. He looked up when she entered the room, but did not speak. He did, however, still his motions. After catching the ball, he drew up his knees and rested his forearms lightly against them. Silently, she shut the door behind her and moved over to where he sat. Reaching him, she settled down on his right side and leaned her head on his shoulder. The position was reminiscent of one they often assumed when they were sharing their feelings as children.

They sat there for several minutes in silence, the only sounds she could hear were his heart beating and his lungs breathing. Finally, Jesse spoke.

"When I first came to Mutant X, and met Shalimar, and later Emma and Brennan and Lexa, they all thought I was a spoiled, naïve little rich boy with a do-gooder attitude. I went ahead and let them think that. Adam knew the truth, at least part of it, but I don't think even he knew everything. When Noah left me at Genomex, I was mad at him. I was mad at him every time he had me shipped off to another private school or hospital. But he always came back for me; it never took longer than a year. I guess I kept hoping that he did love me, that he didn't like having me away for so long. But Genomex. God, it was horrible there. Subdermal governors and proton couplers and the pods. Did anyone tell you about those?"

She nodded, not wanting the sound of her voice to cause him to retreat. He needed to get this out. Shalimar had explained to her about Genomex and their little toys in one of the conversations they had had in the past week and a half.

"Those things were awful. I couldn't get out. I still have a bit of claustrophobia from those damn pods. I tried to keep my mind busy with other things. One of the things I did was count the days. When I got to 400 I gave up hope that Noah would come. I started hating him. I thought he loved me and he betrayed me. I started hating everyone who said they loved me. It was all a lie. I hated mother for never standing up to Noah. I hated Grandpa for letting him do it all those years. I even hated you because you didn't make them come get me."

"I tried. I hacked every database I could. I begged him to tell me where you were. Then he told me you were dead. I cried for days."

Jesse put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "I know that now. You even left my room exactly the same. Plus, you were only what, 15? There wasn't much you could do. Legally or illegally. The point, though, was that I shut everyone out. I didn't want to care about or trust anyone ever again. I didn't want to be betrayed again or betray anyone else like Noah did me. I didn't want to be left behind or leave anyone else behind. It didn't work, though. I guess I've got too much of Grandpa Lawrence in me. It didn't take too long for me to start caring about Shalimar, and Adam, and Brennan and Emma and now Lexa. And the same things kept happening. Noah came back, and I let myself believe that he had changed – but he didn't. He just betrayed me again. Emma died. Adam left – he let us think he was dead. It all hurt. And now Lexa's going to leave too. Her expiry date is in three days." His head fell back against the wall, and she could see the anguish in his face, the pain he was feeling in his eyes. But he didn't let himself cry.

"Jesse. You're not alone. I know what that feels like. You remember what it was like when Grandpa died. He was the one who looked after us – I felt like I was alone, except for you, and you were never here very long. Then, a couple years later, Father told me that you were dead. I've never been very close to him or mother. When he came back a couple years ago, it was just long enough to sign over control of every bit of Kilmartin Enterprises, then he left again. I felt like I didn't have anyone. I was happy when I was turned 17 and then left for college."

"I never went to college." His tone was slightly mournful.

Katie chuckled. "Jesse, you're smart enough that you could probably pass every single one of Colombia and M.I.T.'s graduate exams. You just got your education from experience, that's all. I made some friends in college, but never really got close to any of them. You've got a whole new family. And they obviously love you, especially Lexa."

Jesse looked away for a moment, then down into his lap. "I love them, too. Especially Lexa," he added, making sure that she knew that he knew what she was saying. He threw the ball across the room and waited for it to come back. "That's why I'm so scared right now. I don't want to lose them."

"When you care about your family, you never lose them."

He looked up into her face. "You're still my family. You can be part of the new one too."

"I'd like that."

"Yeah. You'll be part of the team. You've got some great research skills. Plus I wouldn't be the one stuck back at base for all the missions anymore." He gave her a playful smile.

Katie pretended to be indignant. But she was glad he was feeling better. "I'll help when and where I can. As soon as I'm done taking care of Kilmartin Enterprises."

Jesse nodded. He was proud of the way his little sister had grown up. He hadn't been there for her before, but he sure as hell was going to be there now. He looked at the bouncy ball in his hand. "Hey, do you remember when I dropped a bag of these down the chimney in Grandpa's office?"

Katie laughed so hard her eyes started to tear. "Oh, yeah! You should have seen the expression on his face when they started to bounce around the room!"

Jesse spent the next few hours reminiscing and reacquainting himself with his sister.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

_Lexa cradled Shalimar's head in her hands. She met the blond woman's eyes with her own, searching for something, anything. All she found was a dying light filled with despair. She watched as her lips moved. She bent down to hear better. "What is it, Shal? Tell me what to do." _

_"You…should've…"_

_Shalimar's head became a dead weight in her hands. "No, no, no…Shal, wait! What should I do?!" Desperately Lexa looked around the room of the main cave. "Brennan!" _

_She raced over to the sofa, where she saw Brennan lounging with his feet up. "Brennan!" Shaking his shoulder, she tried to wake him. He wouldn't move. She slapped his face, trying to get a response. Sliding her fingers to his neck, she felt for a pulse. There was nothing. He was gone. Shattered, her emotions cascaded over her. They were gone. But where was Jesse? Frantically she scanned the room. She didn't see him! She moved from the sofa to search the room but stumbled across something lying on the floor._

_"Oh, no, no. Not you, Jesse, love." She bent down to stroke his cheek. His eyes were open, but unseeing. He was dead. She was empty. She was alone. She had known that the separation would be hard, but this was so much worse than she could have even imagined. This was worse than Leo. With one hand, she closed his eyes. Then she cradled his head and shoulders in her lap, rocking back and forth. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."_

_"You shouldn't have forced him. Now they're gone. All of them."_

_Lexa looked up, tears streaming down her face. Katie was standing in the doorway. She moved toward Lexa, her eyes furious. "You shouldn't have forced him! My family was taken away once before. Now it's been taken away again. It's your fault! You shouldn't have forced him. It killed him. It killed all of them!"_

_"No, no. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of it to happen. I'm sorry."_

"I'm sorry, so sorry, sor…No!" Lexa awoke violently from the nightmare. It had been so real. What had she done?

It took several minutes to recover from the horrifying images that still lingered in her mind. When she had recovered enough for her breathing to return to a semblance of normalcy, she stood up from the terminal where she had been working. She stretched her body, trying to rid it of both the kinks of sleep and the adrenaline from the nightmare.

After her conversation with Katie earlier, she had calmed down somewhat, but was still angry with Jesse for not telling them – not telling her – that he had found their expiration dates. Because she was so angry, she had decided not to seek anyone else out. Instead, she had gone to one of the computer terminals in the corner office and pulled up the files she had downloaded from the disc Kellogg had given them. She remembered decrypting them, but must have fallen asleep at the terminal before decoding them. No wonder she had a nightmare – the terminals were a damned uncomfortable place to sleep.

Lexa reached over and turned of the computer. She would never be able to concentrate on decoding the files tonight. She turned off the light and left the room.

Rounding the corner, she thought back to the last thing Jesse had said. _Don't ask me to kill you._ To her, having him experiment with his new abilities on her didn't seem like such a risk. Hell, she was going to die in three days, anyway. But for him, she realized, he was risking everything. Not only her life, but his. As well as his hope. If he couldn't do anything to help them, and they never found Adam, he would be the only one to survive. He'd have Katie, but he'd be losing a family a second time. Although she was still upset with him for not telling her about finding her expiry dates, she better understood, with Katie's help, that he was hiding it to protect her from the anguish of knowing she was going to die because he couldn't do anything. She should have realized – he was an open book after all. Instead, she had let her temper get the better of her. She let out a deep breath. She should find him and apologize. She redirected her steps toward the medbay, hoping he was still there.

A few seconds later, there was a loud clang above her, followed by a grunt. Looking up to the catwalk running alongside the wall, she saw Jesse. He was hopping to his feet and dusting himself off. When he turned towards the stairs at the far end of the hall, he saw her and stopped. She blinked, making sure her mind hadn't conjured him.

He was real. She heard his voice when he spoke. He flashed her a sheepish half-smile and said. "I was up in the mansion talking to Katie." He pointed to the ceiling. "Decided to take a shortcut. I should really install padding here or something. But hey, it's not like I couldn't take care of myself if I did hurt myself."

She continued to stare blankly at him.

He looked down at his feet and stuffed his hands into the back pockets of his cargo pants. "Yeah. Guess it's not the time for bad jokes."

He surprised her, then, when he took a breath and phased through the catwalk to the floor below. As he landed, he was already taking steps towards her. "Lexa, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. And I'm sorry I yelled at you. If you want –"

Lexa silenced him, holding a hand up in front of his mouth. "I should apologize to you too, Jess. I shouldn't have put that kind of pressure on you, especially so fast and with all that's been happening."

"Well, you were probably right. It's your only chance right now. And I should have told you about your date. The whole trust issue goes both ways, and I forgot that."

Lexa shuffled her feet and rubbed her arms. "You were probably right too. It's just that over the past couple of weeks I've really started to think of Mutant X as my home and my family. I'm not ready to give it up. I thought I could, but I can't." Her eyes were filling with tears and she scrunched her nose in an effort to hold them in.

"Oh, Lexa. Come here." Jesse reached out, grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into his arms. He rocked her in his embrace, running a hand along her shoulders and back, soothing her as he had the last time she cried. "Shhh…it's okay. I don't know how yet, but it will be okay. I promise you." He took comfort in the fact that she trusted him enough to hug him back. He felt her breath and the hot drops of fresh tears on his neck. He ran his fingers through her hair, savoring its silky length. "I understand. I'm scared too. Mutant X is where I belong; it's my family too. We've both lost families before. I'm scared that I won't be able to save this family, the one I want more than anything to save. I'm scared of my new ability, that it will do more harm than good." He pulled back so he could look her in the eye. "But we've got each other. And we've got Shalimar and Brennan and Katie. And we all care about each other. That's going to be the difference."

She nodded, and leaned back into his arms, wanting to return to his soothing embrace, but he stopped her.

"I'll do it. I'll do it for you."

She paused, not understanding what he was talking about. Then she remembered. He was talking about trying to use his ability to save her. He was willing to take the risk of losing her to save her because she wanted him to. "Thank you," was all she said.

He stared at her eyes for a moment. They were so light. Such a contrast to her dark hair. They acted like a chasm, pulling him to her, where he would fall in, and never be able to escape. He didn't want to. Because they were more than that. They were the windows that let him see _her_, to see what she was really feeling. And he saw something there now. Something he had almost seen before, but saw clearly now. He didn't know if she knew it was there, but he saw it. He bent his head down, angling his head so his lips would meet hers.

For a moment, it was a simple kiss, one of promise. Somewhere in the back of their minds they both noted that it was the first time that he had kissed her, rather than the other way around. The soft kiss quickly turned into something else all together. Simultaneously, they both deepened the kiss, opening their mouths, their tongues dancing. They tasted, nibbled and felt. She moved her hands to his head, so she could pull him closer, make the kiss deeper if it was possible. He let himself fall into her, reveling in her taste, her texture and her scent. Their lips parted, not to breathe, but to change position, and learn more about each other. She felt his hips unconsciously leaning into hers. It lasted forever, but not nearly long enough; eventually he pulled away so they could both breathe.

"As much as I want this," he said, nudging her hips with his own and taking gulps of air, "it's not time." He dropped another kiss on her lips, this time making sure to keep it light. "Come on. We need to get some sleep." He laced his fingers around hers and started toward the door.

She stopped him by tugging on his arm. "Not to the mansion. Katie and I fixed my room."

"Lexa," he warned.

"Just stay with me. Please?"

He closed his eyes and nodded. He followed, letting her lead him into her new room. He spared a few seconds to look around at the spartan setup, but quickly trained his eyes back on hers. He hoped to God that she didn't do anything to tempt him. Pulling away the last time had been hard enough. There was no question that both of them wanted it. But he knew it couldn't be now, not while they were both in such unstable emotional states.

She pulled back the covers and began to strip down to her underwear. He followed suit, leaving his boxers on. Silently, they crawled into the bed, settling down together. She lay with her head tucked into his shoulder, her right arm slung tight across his lean waist. He let his own right hand rest on her hip and tucked his left behind his head. Once his body lay flat on the mattress he felt the emotional strain of the day pull him toward sleep. He could feel Lexa's own body relax against him.

"I love you."

Jesse looked down, surprised, knowing what it took for her to say those words. "I love you, too, Lex. And I swear to you, I'm going to do everything in my power to save you."

Lexa nodded, snuggling closer. She heard his heartbeat slow, felt his breathing become deep and even.

"You already have," she whispered to his slumbering form. Then she closed her eyes and let sleep claim her.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Jesse and Lexa spent the next two days working side by side, as did Brennan and Shalimar. Jesse and Lexa worked in the medbay, where Jesse studied his medical record and tried to develop and understand his new power. Lexa spent the hours running decoding software and, when that failed, manually decoding individual lines of dominion developed code. Brennan and Shalimar finished moving in the furniture and taking care of mundane details – like shopping for food. When they had finished, they checked in some of the mutant other mutant contacts. As it had been for the past two weeks, with the exception of Kellogg's information, the Dominion's trail was completely cold, and all was quiet.

Finally, though, the time came for Jesse to try his hand at manipulating someone else's genetic structure. At an agreed upon time, the four of them were to meet in medbay. Katie had wanted to be there, but there had been a meeting with a family lawyer that she had been unable to reschedule. Jesse had encouraged her to keep the appointment. He did not know exactly what was going to happen, and he didn't want his sister there if something went wrong.

Brennan and Shalimar entered medbay still bickering from an argument – er, debate – they had started while adding some decorative touches to the common room.

"I don't care what you say. We're not going to hang it. I think Jesse and Lexa will agree with me."

"Come on, Shal. It's a classic!"

"I don't care. I like those things too. But I don't want to have to stare at a pile of bolts when I'm trying to relax. How about a poster of a tree? Better yet, how about a real one."

"Shal. It's a poster of a classic 1977 Harley Davidson motorcycle!" Brennan knew his cause was already lost, but kept up the good fight.

Shalimar tapped his chin with her forefinger. "Sorry, Sparky. Maybe next time."

When they entered the room, their expressions sobered. "What've you got? Are you guys ready to do this?"

Lexa looked up from the computer. "I finally managed to snap this code. I created and applied a decoder program. It's running now, but it won't be done for another couple of hours." Her voice was calm. The tapping of her finger on the countertop, though, betrayed her nervousness about the upcoming procedure.

Jesse was also strangely calm. His face was etched with determination. He explained what was happening, in part to keep Brennan and Shalimar in the loop, but also to review it in his own mind.

"Okay. My new ability only works on humans. That's because I use the specific energy frequencies of the human body in tandem with my own to break apart, rearrange and reform the molecules of the body. I couldn't find out how I healed my own structure. When I start the procedure, I'll have to spend a few seconds running a couple tests to see if I can figure it out which way I did it. Now, Lexa's not a pure elemental. The way she makes herself invisible actually uses a minor form of molecular manipulation. This is good, because that means that she will be able to withstand the test for a longer period of time or even a second time, thus giving me more time."

Jesse paused for breath, resting his hands on his hips. "Lexa, can you show Shalimar how to monitor the test? Brennan, can you come over hear for a sec?"

"Sure, man." Brennan lumbered over to the other side of the room to where Jesse stood. "What can I do?"

"Okay. Listen." He indicated a few keys on one of the pieces of equipment on the far side of the room. "These are the commands to initiate emergency measures."

"Jess –"

Jesse carefully kept his voice at a low volume. "Brennan. Something may go wrong. If I can't complete the procedure, we need to be prepared for anything, and I might not be able to do it."

Though his words were vague about the risks to his own safety, Brennan gathered that Jesse knew that this untested procedure was as just as risky for him as it was for Lexa. He clapped a hand on Jesse's shoulder. "I'll take care of it. But we're not gonna need it, got that?"

Jesse nodded, grateful for his friend's support. The two men returned to the other side of the room, where Lexa was standing next to Shalimar, who turned on Jesse, a determined look in her eye. "Lexa and I both agree. You need to wear this during the test, or we won't let you do it."

Jesse looked at what she held out in her hand. It was a biorhythms monitor. He reached out and took the small device and slid it into place on his neck.

Lexa and Shalimar both relaxed, grateful for not having encountered resistance. Then the feral was surprised when Lexa reached out and gave her a gentle hug. Shalimar squeezed back.

When she let go, Brennan was there to give Lexa a short side arm hug and to drop a brotherly kiss on the top of her head. "Good luck," he said. Then he looked up to Jesse as Lexa hopped onto the biobed. "You guys ready?"

"As we'll ever be." Jesse grasped Lexa's hand and they held tight to each other. He dropped a kiss on her lips, and then leaned his forehead against hers. For what might be the last time, they took comfort in each other's presence.

Lexa settled back in the bio bed. Jesse placed his hands on her hips, so as to be closer to the site of an adult's source of bone marrow production. He took a handful of deep breaths, preparing himself. Finally, he held his breath and Brennan and Shalimar watched as his hands and her entire body began to phase. After only a second, her body re-solidified except for the area around her pelvis.

What seemed like hours but was only seconds later, her body and his returned to normal density. Shalimar gave a relieved sigh.

But it wasn't over. The normal density only lasted long enough for Jesse to take another deep breath and Lexa to let out a gasp of pain. Then the area around her pelvis and Jesse's entire body phased. They remained that way for a good 30 seconds. A monitor behind Brennan began a shrill beeping. Shalimar turned frantically to check the device. "Lexa's pulse has skyrocketed. Jesse's has plummeted, his blood pressure too. They can't keep up this pace much longer." She and Brennan turned back to look at the other two, both of whom were in medically dangerous states, and inhaled sharply at what they saw.

Jesse had now shifted his body and Lexa's into a massed state. He remained so for another 30 seconds. A second alarm went off.

"SATs are dropping on both of them!"

More alarms went off, but Brennan and Shalimar couldn't tear their gazes away. When they could see him, they saw Jesse's eyes had closed, determination engraved on his face. He quickly shifted from the massed state into a phased one, and then back again. A small sound came from Lexa's throat, cut off when her body and mind lapsed into unconsciousness. Jesse changed back to a phased state. He shifted back and forth, never returning to normal density, never taking another breath. The shifts became faster and faster, eventually reaching a speed where the telltale red lines of Jesse's massed state created small, quick flashes of light as he reached high density and moved back to low.

"Two-hundred fifty seconds elapsed," a computer voice said.

"Over four minutes," Shalimar gave a Brennan a quick glance. "How long can Jesse hold his breath?"

Brennan didn't have a chance to answer. The red flashes stopped. Jesse and Lexa both returned to normal density. Lexa's body, which had remained rigid despite her unconscious state, slumped back into the seat. Jesse's eyes opened, and his head lifted sluggishly, and they could see his eyes. They were bright, unfocused, and blank. Then they rolled up into his head and his body collapsed to the floor.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Jesse!" Shalimar screamed, already moving towards the prone body on the floor.

Brennan caught her arm. "I'll take care of him, run the test!"

"Brennan," she protested, starting to fight him.

He gave her a small zap to get her attention. When she looked up at him, he drilled his gaze to hers. "Run the test. It's what Jesse told us to do. I'll take care of him."

As Shalimar turned back toward the console, it emitted a steady high-pitched tone. "Brennan," she called out. "His heart's stopped!"

"Just run the test. I've got it." Brennan circled his hands together, creating a tesla coil. He gave Jesse a quick sharp shock. The unconscious man's body rocked, but the incessant whine of the biorhythms monitor continued. "Come on, brother," he said as he gave a larger and longer jolt. This time, when the electrical arcing stopped, the whine did too.

"Heart rate 65. Blood pressure normal. His breathing's still shallow, but he's back." Shalimar sighed in relief.

"Good." Brennan grunted as he lifted Jesse's dead weight onto the second biobed. Once settled, he gave Jesse's shoulder a pat. "When you wake up, I'm going to kill you for scaring us like that," he said to the molecular, whose body had now fallen into the comfortable rhythms of sleep. He moved to Shalimar's side. "Did it work?"

"Hold on. Scanning…now." They looked over their shoulders to see parallel golden rays of light run over Lexa's body once, twice, three times. When it stopped, they looked back to the computer. "Analyzing….please wait," the computer screen read.

After a few seconds, torrents of data poured onto the screen. Shalimar scanned the data, searching for the points Lexa had told her to watch for. When she saw the results, she reached up and flung her arms around Brennan's neck. "It worked," she said gleefully. "It worked and they're both okay."

Brennan hugged her back, then looked up when he heard a rustling. Lexa was waking up.

"Ohhh….," she groaned. "What – Jesse?" Lexa's hand reached out while her head rocked side to side. Her eyes opened slowly, finally focusing on Jesse' still form next to her. "Jesse!" she cried meekly, her body reaching out despite its lack of energy.

"Shh... It's okay. He's okay now. He's just sleeping."

Reassured, Lexa relaxed in the bed. "Did it work?"

"Like a charm. Every indicator gave us the result we wanted. I don't know _exactly_ what they mean, but it worked!"

"Good." Lexa gave as bright a smile as she could muster. Then she let herself be pulled back into a healing sleep. Before her eyes closed, though, she looked over to Jesse. She thanked God, and any other deity that existed, for Jesse, the man she loved, the man who had saved her and the man who had given them all hope.  
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* * *

.

Nine hours later, a now awake and alert Lexa was stationed at Jesse's bedside. She had tried doing some more work on decoding the information Kellogg had given them, but hadn't been able to focus. Her sole intent at the present time was waiting for Jesse's eyes to open, so she could see his haunting blue orbs once again. When had she become such a softie, she wondered as she laced her fingers through his. Sometime in the last few weeks, Jesse had made his way into her heart and now she couldn't imagine her life without him.

When he finally stirred, Lexa called out to Brennan, Shalimar, and Katie who had been waiting and napping in the main room. They entered just as Jesse's eyes opened to meet Lexa's.

"Hello," he whispered.

Lexa smiled, her eyes shining with relief. "Hi, yourself. It worked.

He smiled. He stretched a bit to invigorate his muscles, then reached down to flip the switch on the side of the bed to raise the back so he could sit up. "Can I see the results?"

Shalimar handed him one of the small laptops. He scanned through the information.

"Hey, you had us scared there for awhile," Shalimar said. "Did you know that something like that might happen?"

Jesse nodded. "I knew there was a risk, but I honestly didn't think it would take that long. The good news is that I was able to repair the structure just by repairing the stem cells in the bone marrow. It will take a few days for all the cells in the body to regenerate themselves, but then Lexa will be completely cured. The bad news is that, since Lexa was so close to her expiry date, there was a lot of damage to repair. That's why it took so long. It also required a lot of energy. Hence the passing out."

"And the heart stopping?" Shalimar asked quietly.

Jesse looked up sharply, blinking in confusion. Then he looked back to the laptop at the records for his own status during the procedure. "Hmm. Note to self. Don't use that energy source. I'll be more careful next time."

"Next time?"

"Yup. You and Shalimar. You're next. It'll be easier and not take so long since your expiry dates aren't for a while."

"Yeah, we saw the file. But you're not touching us until you are 100% better, got it?" Shalimar said in a mothering tone.

"Got you completely. But I'm 100% now. All I needed was some sleep. Plus, the sooner I do it, the less time and energy it takes. Every day counts, so the sooner the better. By the way, what time is it?"

"It's almost 10:00. But still, I don't think you should try anything for at least a couple days." Brennan gave his shoulder a squeeze.

Jesse sighed. "Fine. But two days from now, I want one of you in here. So, what else is new?"

He asked the question to get the attention off himself, attention he wasn't comfortable with. Lexa's attention, though, he could deal with. He enjoyed the feeling of her hand in his. He flexed his fingers in hers so he could feel more of her.

"Well," Katie said. "The lawyer I saw gave me a whole new box of legal papers to go through."

They all chuckled at this. "All the technology in the world," Lexa said. "And they still can't figure out a way to stop the paperwork."  
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* * *

.

Three hours later, after everyone had assured themselves that Jesse and Lexa were okay, the four mutants and Katie were in their beds, fast asleep after an emotionally tumultuous day. Well, all were asleep except one. In Lexa's room, Jesse was laying on his back, wide awake. His nine hour 'nap' had made him restless, and he was anxious to start his own efforts to find Adam. Now that Jesse had found a way to fix the genetic structures of the other members of Mutant X, his stress level had gone down significantly. But, he needed Adam to help him find a different cure for all the other mutants; there were far too many and not enough time for Jesse to heal them all.

Jesse slowly disentangled himself from Lexa's arms. They still hadn't taken the next step – Lexa had been tired and the time wasn't right – but still felt the need to be physically close to each other. He dropped a kiss on her temple before pulling on his pants and a shirt and leaving the room.

He walked down the hall, heading for Shalimar's room too look for Brennan. He stopped, however, at the main room when he peeked in and saw Brennan sleeping on the long sofa. Jesse gave a soft smile. He had the suspicion that this was one of the few, if only, times that Brennan and Shalimar had not slept in the same bed since that night after Dominion headquarters was destroyed. He had forgotten that Brennan had fallen asleep there earlier, and wouldn't wake up. Not even Shalimar was motivated enough to drag him to a bed, so they had left him there.

Jesse moved silently into the room and knelt on the floor beside the couch. "Sorry about this, Brennan," he said, his voice so low that he could barely hear it himself. "But you're next, and the sooner the better." The side of his mouth ticked up in a half smile. "Plus, I can't sleep, and this will put me out like the proverbial light." Jesse lightly placed his hands on Brennan's hip, pushing the shirt out of the way so he could have skin to skin contact, which made the process easier. Jesse took a few deep breaths and began to heal the sleeping elemental.

Brennan woke from a bad dream to intense shooting pains in his hip and flashes of red light on the other side of his eyes. Opening them, he saw Jesse, whose body was rapidly going between phasing and massing. Having seen it twelve hours before, Brennan knew exactly what Jesse was doing, despite the fact that the others had wanted him to wait a few days. Brennan managed to grit his teeth during the pain, waiting for Jesse to finish his work. A few moments later, Jesse slumped to the floor. Brennan reached down and checked the younger man's pulse and breathing. Both were steady and strong. Brennan reached down to the other end of the couch and grabbed the other arm cushion. He lifted Jesse's head and placed the pillow underneath, then rolled Jesse onto his back so he wouldn't wake up needing a chiropractor. "That's all you're gonna get, man," Brennan said to the now slumbering Jesse. Brennan was grateful for what Jesse had just done, but knew that it could have waited a couple days. "You disobeyed orders. Just for that, I'm not dragging you back to Lexa's room. Actually, I don't think she'd like to know that you disobeyed orders either. So consider yourself lucky." Brennan rolled over on the couch, punched the arm cushion he was using for a pillow, and went back to sleep, this time dreaming of the future with a light heart.


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: **Sorry for the super late post. Document mangager was acting screwy all day. I tried like, a dozen times to gain access...ah, well. C'est la vie. Hope you enjoy this chapter...  
.

* * *

**Chapter 22**

The next morning, Shalimar was, predictably, clucking like a mother hen and hissing like a wild cat when she found out what Jesse had done. She called Katie, who was in a meeting with the board of Kilmartin Enterprises, and let him know what he had done. Katie was grateful that the procedure was a success, but gave her brother a good chewing out over the phone. Although Shalimar was grateful that Brennan would now be around for more than two and a half months, she was upset with Jesse for not waiting until they were sure he was fine.

For her part, Lexa was also upset about Jesse's actions, but, as she felt Shalimar was doing such a good job of chewing Jesse out, she limited her reprimand to a stern look.

By the end of the morning, Shalimar had firmly notified Jesse that he wasn't to even try to heal her for at least two days. Jesse had argued, but eventually relented. He was keenly aware that Shalimar's expiry date was much farther away than any of the others'. Two more days out of 5 ½ years would not be as much as a problem as 1 day had been to Brennan's 79 days left. Shalimar then spoke with Lexa, and had her activate the security grids around her room. She was not taking any chances of Jesse getting anywhere near her in the next two days.

Later in the afternoon, Lexa found a suitable punishment for Jesse. She made him set up and move into his _own_ room. However, Jesse turned the tables on her. He kept asking her opinion about decoration and furniture placement. When she had asked finally asked why in hell he was asking her, he had replied. "Because you'll probably spend just as much time in here as I will." He had continued with the innuendos the entire time they were working, which frustrated her because she couldn't seem to control the blushes that flushed her cheeks each time. Jesse, on the other hand, delighted in them. He loved knowing that he had that effect on her. In fact, he just plain loved her.

They had been working for almost an hour when Shalimar knocked on the door. Coming in, she said to Lexa, "That program you made finished analyzing the disc. It's a list of public purchases the Dominion's made in the last few months."

"I'll be right there." Lexa put down the stack of books she was moving, which included the well-worn copy of Sophie's World from Jesse's room in the mansion. Then she strolled out the door, Jesse close behind her.

Brennan was waiting for them at the computer. "Hey guys," he said. "This list is pretty much a hodgepodge of different stuff."

Lexa leaned in to look at the list. "Hmm. From what I can tell, the reason they had to buy all this stuff publicly is because they couldn't get it privately. Look here – 30 multispectrum particle analyzers. Those aren't exactly mass-produced. Even if you buy it from a private company, that much of one thing is sure to send up some red flags. This guy Jake must have noticed things like this when the orders were run through the system. Then he made a list and got a copy to Kellogg."

Shalimar folded her arms across her chest. "If purchases like these are so rare, the guy who sold them must remember something about the buyer."

Lexa nodded. "I agree. The company that makes the analyzers is in the Palmyra suburb. That's only a few miles outside Philly. I can be there in 20 minutes."

"I'll go with you. I feel like going out. Plus, I can't let Jesse anywhere near me for another day and a half."

A computer in the corner of the room sounded, indicating an incoming call. Brennan went to check it out.

"Sounds good," Lexa said. She and Shalimar headed for the garage. "Do you want to play good cop, bad cop?"

"Sure, but I had to be good cop last time. It's your turn."

"Good luck, you guys," Brennan said as he returned. "That was Katie. The electrical system in the office shorted out. She said she called here because she knew I was closer than a repairman. I'm going to go check it out. Nice to know she's fitting in. Already asking for favors," he joked, jogging up the few steps that connected the computer lab area to the rest of the main room.

Jesse watched Brennan leave. He frowned and put his hands on his hips. "Now what am I supposed to do," he muttered to no one in particular. He couldn't do anymore medical research without Adam's help, and Shalimar and Lexa were following up on the only clue they had to Adam's whereabouts. A few seconds later, he shrugged. There was nothing he could do until Shalimar and Lexa came back. But he could go work off some of his nervous energy in the dojo. There were no holograms yet, but he felt he could do just fine against a punching bag and a martial arts block. The decision made, he went up to his room to change into some workout gear.  
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* * *

.

Lexa parked the car at a grocery store two blocks from the plant, which was located on a pier on the edge of the Delaware River. Shalimar halted Lexa fifty feet from the building. "Hold up. Something's not right."

Lexa was instantly on alert. She had come to trust Shalimar's feral instincts. Opening her own senses, she realized what was wrong. "The air conditioners aren't on."

Shalimar looked at her quizzically.

Lexa explained. "It's a computer production facility. The dossier said that it's also a server location. There are tons of computers in there, which generates a lot of heat. The computers all have to be kept cool, otherwise they stop functioning properly. No air conditioning means something's wrong inside."

Shalimar considered this. "That may be it, but something tells me there's something else going on here. We'll have to be careful."

Lexa agreed and they moved cautiously into the building. They moved through the hallways, stopping once to get directions from an office directory on the wall. Moving down the hallway on the third floor, Shalimar slowed, sniffing the air, her eyes flashing yellow. "Someone in here's not alive anymore. I smell death. More than one, actually. And I smell burnt things."

Holding a hand up to indicate to Shalimar that she was ready to fire a laser at anything that moved, Lexa opened the door to the office of one Peter Sandovar. The man's name had been listed as supervisor for the purchase the Dominion had made. Peering around the corner, Lexa relaxed her stance. "Looks like we won't get to play good cop, bad cop. Sandovar's dead." She motioned to the nametag that the man was wearing on his lab coat. She bent down to check the man's pulse just in case he was still alive. However, it was pretty clear from the hole in his chest that he was dead.

"Look." Shalimar motioned through another door into a long room on the other side.

Lexa looked around the corner of the doorframe. "It looks like they won't be any help either."

The two women walked down the center aisle of the room, glancing at the dozen or so bodies strewn around the room. Each one had gaping holes in their chests or backs.

"They were massacred. Do you think the Dominion did this?"

"They're the only ones I can think of that would do something like this. Plus this damage was done with Dominion laser rifles. I can tell by the scorch marks on the wall."

Shalimar stepped over the body of a female employee to get a look at the poor woman's station. "Says here that there was a short in a circuit mainframe that caused the air conditioning to shut down."

Lexa came over to look at the computer. "There's more than that. Production was actually accelerated after the air conditioning went out, also the result of a short. That's too much of a coincidence."

"If production increases, the computers will be running hot, right."

"Yeah, that's why it doesn't make sense to do it when the air conditioning…," Lexa's voice faded. "Damn it. It'll cause an overload and the place will explode. Come on, we gotta go!" Lexa sprinted after the room, moving almost at the same time Shalimar did.

"Any records the authorities uncover will make it look like an accident," she shouted as they ran down the hall. "They plan to make the place blow itself; the murders were just to make sure all the scientists died in the explosion, just in case they knew anything."

They came to a corner. Lexa automatically turned right to go out the way they had come. Shalimar stopped her, grabbing her arm and pulling her the other direction. A klaxon in the hallway suddenly blared and a flashing red light pulsed in the hallway. "No, this way. Fire escape's faster."

As soon as she saw the emergency exit, Lexa shot a wide laser ahead of them, effectively blowing out the door to the balcony that opened up to the fire escape. They were able to pass through the doorway quickly, not having to worry about slowing down for locks or doors. They dashed down the three flights of stairs. Shalimar jumped off the last one, landing nimbly on her feet. Lexa ran the rest of the way down, jumping quickly off the descending, spring-loaded ladder even before it hit the ground. They dashed down the pier, reaching the road just as the building exploded, sending shards of the wood and metal structure flying their way.

AN: Well, another cliffhanger. I've found that I've become rather fond of them. As far as the story is concerned, I generally write about four chapters ahead, but edit each chapter before I post to check for inconsistancies...and I find them...sigh ;-) I've begun writing the climax of the story and I'm already getting story withdrawl. tear ;-)


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

A little over two hours after heading up to the mansion to help Katie with an electrical problem, Brennan returned to The Cave, only to find no one there. Lexa and Shalimar were off hunting down that lead, but Jesse should be around somewhere. Brennan had expected to find him typing away at one of the computers, as he had been for most of the two weeks since they set up the new Sanctuary. Not finding him in either the main room or medbay, Brennan went searching for him.

Ten minutes later, he found Jesse in the dojo. He watched Jesse take on the wing chun dummy in the corner of the room. The martial arts training tool looked like a misshapen coat hanger to most people, but Brennan knew that it was one of Jesse's favorite training tools. Though he hadn't often used it in actual combat because it was so deadly, Jesse was trained in, and very proficient at, many forms of the martial arts, his favorite and best form being kung fu.

Brennan watched as Jesse's arms and wrists moved slowly but efficiently and sharply against the prongs of the dummy. His torso and feet shifted as he ran through one of the several routines he used to practice. Jesse began to accelerate his movements, soon reaching a blinding speed. The movements were precise and controlled, with the occasional kick and body block tossed into the routine. Finally, though, the movements slowed again, and the exercise came to a halt. After Jesse had finished the last movement, Brennan applauded him from the doorway.

"Nice moves man. I guess all that time at the computer recently hasn't slowed you down."

Jesse smiled. "Actually, it did. But you wouldn't be able to tell. You just use brute force when you fight."

"Hey, don't knock what works."

Jesse reached down to grab a towel of the floor in the corner. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, neck and arms as he walked. "Were you able to fix the problem for Katie?"

"Oh, yeah. Just a blown fuse and a corroded circuit wire. What she really wanted was to have a chat."

Jesse tossed the towel down and retrieved a pair of handwraps. He wound them onto his hands and began to assault the punching bag. "What did she want to talk about?"

"Lot's of stuff. What kind of stuff we do for fun, my relationship with Shalimar, your relationship with Lexa."

Jesse chuckled. "She's chatty, huh?"

Brennan rolled his eyes. "God, yes. Loves to talk and ask questions. Started to drive me crazy after a while."

"She was the same way when we were kids, always asking me about my new schools. Don't let her fool you, though. She's a good listener too." He landed a roundhouse kick high on the bag. "But she does love her gossip."

"Speaking of you and Lexa…"

Jesse paused to look at Brennan and laugh. "Which we weren't really doing."

"How are things between you two?"

Jesse, bouncing on the balls of his feet before resuming his assault on the bag, smiled. "They're good. I think she's going to stay." He landed a series of jabs on the bag.

"So, have you two, ehh, you know?"

"You know, Brennan, not everything is about sex," Jesse said, giving him an exasperated but good-humored look. "Besides, I want to wait until she's comfortable. I don't want to scare her away."

"That's cool, that's cool."

Brennan paused for a moment. He had wanted to talk with someone about this, and now seemed as good a time as any. "What do you think Adam's doing right now?"

Jesse stopped punching and let his shoulders and arms slump down. "I really don't know. I'm sure he's alive. The Creator cloned himself so that he could have second mind, a second pair of hands to do his work. Maybe even to have a successor. And the Dominion wants to please the Creator, so I'm sure he's fine. Why do you ask? I thought you were mad at Adam for not telling us he was alive."

"I was. Still am, a bit. I was thinking about, when we finally find him, if he'll want to come back. With the Creator, he can finally do what he's always wanted to do. Build the perfect genetic structure."

Jesse nodded, then went back to the punching bag. He remembered things Adam had said and done when he had last seen him. Adam had seemed so obsessed with that genetic hologram in his lab, and then again when the Creator had shown it to him. As he remembered, he vented some of the distress the thoughts caused by punching the bag particularly hard. "I don't know Brennan. I really don't. Like he said, what the Creator was doing was his life's dream."

"If Adam doesn't come back, how will we find a cure to stabilized mutants' genetic structures? What about all those mutants? There's got to be thousands of them. How many do you think there are?"

"Seven thousand four hundred and sixty one, give or take."

"You've thought about this, I see."

"Just a little," Jesse said sarcastically. The intensity of his kicks and punches increased. Brennan moved over to hold the bag for him. "I couldn't heal all those mutants if I wanted to. There are too many of them and their expiry dates are too close together. Plus there's the fact that I'd have to worry about what their types are. The genetic structures of moleculars and elementals are hard to fix. Their abilities usually aren't natural to the human body, and come from the fact that their DNA has a large variance from the average. Thus, most of their expiry dates are soon. Psionics and ferals simply have preexisting abilities amplified. Their structures aren't as skewed, so they're easier for me to heal and have more time until their expiry dates."

Brennan let Jesse talk. It seemed like the molecular was having lingering emotional issues with his new ability. After letting Jesse get it out, he decided to change the subject. "Hey, do you want a sparring partner?"

"Nah, thanks though. I'm almost done and the girls should be back soon."

"Okay. I'll be in the computer bay." Brennan turned to leave the room, but then stopped. "Oh, hey. I looked for you in medbay before I came here, and there was a green triangle flashing on one of the screens. What's that all about?"

Jesse frowned. "I'm not sure. Let me take a look." He unwound the handwraps, slung them over his shoulder and followed Brennan out of the room.

When Jesse saw the green triangle on the screen, his eyebrow rose in surprise. "So soon," he muttered.

"What's so soon? This icon is new to Sanctuary's database and systems. I don't recognize it. What's it mean?"

"Well, it's actually a communiqué from Lexa's old Dominion contact. He saved Lexa and me when there was a firefight in the holding cells. He said he'd be in contact, but I didn't think it would be this soon. He sent the message to my private, off system site. The new computer system picked up on it and forwarded it here. That's what the little green triangle was all about."

"Well, what's it say?"

"I'm not sure. Just let me…okay, got it. Hmm. It's a phone number."

"A phone number. What, does he want us to call him and shoot the breeze?"

"Hmm. Wait, this doesn't make sense…"

At that moment, Shalimar and Lexa walked into the room. "Hey, you guys have good timing," Brennan said, looking up.

"No, actually our timing sucks."

"What do you mean?" Brennan asked.

Shalimar answered. "When we got there Sandovar was dead. So was his whole team. The Dominion rigged the place to explode and made it look like an accident. There's nothing left."

"Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine Jess. But that was our only lead to finding Adam."

"Maybe not. That's a nasty gash on your arm. Want me to take care of that?"

"No way, buster. You've got another 24 hours before you can come anywhere near me. I'll take care of it the old fashioned way for now."

Lexa smirked for a moment, but then her expression turned serious. "What do you mean, 'maybe not?''

"Well, we got a message from your Dominion contact. It's a phone number. The phone number belongs to a private residence in northeast Illinois. Why would they have extensions? There's no business registered at the address."

Jesse watched as one of Lexa's eyebrows rose. "A home phone number with extensions, huh? The Dominion's not exactly big on using standard communication channels. Let me see. 1 (224) 938-3279 ext 31. It's not a phone number…they're coordinates. He once told me a story about how they once had to encrypt information that way."

Jesse hunched over the computer. "Really," he said with interest. "There's no way of knowing which is longitude and which is latitude, or if it's north or south or east or west."

"We'll just have to run the possibilities, see what that gets us."

"How long will that take, Jess?"

"Are you kidding? I've already started and am almost done. Just bringing up this program here. Okay, there are 32 possible coordinates. Sixteen don't exist on the longitude-latitude scale. Ten more are in the middle of the ocean. So there are only six possible locations. Two are in China, one each in Greenland and Antarctica, and two in the U.S.

"And the Dominion didn't exactly put in a quick order for polar coats. That would be strange enough for Jake to put on his list. That and the fact that Greenland and Antarctica are _a little_ remote eliminate them as possibilities," Shalimar pitched in, getting into the swing of things.

"Exactly. Then there's the fact that China has some pretty strict laws against foreigners. Even if they went in 'secretly,' there'd be some kind of trail. In fact, that makes it even easier to find things, because there's no red tape or bureaucracy to get lost in. Our system hasn't picked up on any potential Dominion activity in the area. The two U.S. coordinates are for the towns of Santa Rosa, California and Charlottesville, Virginia. Those are our best bets."

"But what exactly is there? A contact maybe? Or the place where they took Adam and set up shop with the Creator?" Brennan asked.

Jesse swiveled the chair to face Lexa. "Any ideas?"

It took Lexa a few seconds to answer. She had been distracted by Jesse's body, which was outlined nicely in the sweaty sleeveless t-shirt and track pants, the damp cloth clinging to his muscled frame. "No, no, not really, it depends on how close he was to the Dominion council, and whether he was privy to that kind of information. He might have just plain stolen it. I wouldn't even know which location to check first."

"Well, I vote we make that decision in the morning. We should weigh our decision carefully, because we don't exactly fly from one location to the other – we won't have another Helix for a month or so. There's nothing we can do tonight, and maybe we'll get more information in the morning. Right now, I'm beat. I spent some time in the dojo and it took a little more out of me than I thought. Lexa? You okay?"

Lexa, whose gaze had settled back on Jesse, lifted her eyes from his upper body once again. "Sounds good. I'm definitely ready for bed."


	24. Chapter 24

AN: Okay, nice _long_ chapter today. I considered splitting it up in to two parts, but decided that it didn't really work that way. So, here you go!  
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* * *

Chapter 24

Jesse stepped out of the shower in the bathroom he shared with Brennan. The shower had refreshed him somewhat, and it felt good to be clean. Grabbing a couple of towels out of the cupboard, he dried himself and wrapped one around his waist. He started to use the other to dry his hair but put it away instead when he remembered that his hair was still short. He hadn't yet gotten out of the habit. He stepped out of the bathroom and into his bedroom, where he stopped short.

Lexa was sitting, legs folded beneath her, on his bed. She was in her pajamas – matching black silk top and bottoms – and her hair was wet from a recent shower. When Jesse gave her a questioning look, she simply said, "I've gotten used to having you around."

"Bull. You just don't like sleeping alone," he retorted, only half joking.

"True. But that doesn't mean I can't be picky about who I sleep with."

Jesse snorted, remembering the time she had gone ahead and been with what's-his-name, the thief. That one had hurt, even though they hadn't been together at the time. "I'm sure."

"Okay, so I haven't been especially picky in the past. But all of the sudden, I find myself really picky. So picky, in fact, that I can't imagine sleeping with anyone else. Ever again."

Jesse chuckled nervously as the double meanings started to get to him. Lexa moved off the bed and towards him. "Lexa," he said, watching her hand as it touched his bare chest and trailed down, across his abdomen. He reached out to still her meanderings, placing his own hand over hers. "Are you sure about this? I don't want to you to get scared and run off. I think you can be happy here and I don't want to ruin that for you."

"It wouldn't." She leaned her head in, moving in to taste his mouth again. A taste that she had found unique and delightfully addictive.

"You're sure? Because I really like you here, with me, with us. I'd rather have you here, and us not be together, than for us to be together once or twice and then you leave."

"I want us to be together, Jesse."

"I won't take a one or two-night stand, Lex. I'm a relationship kind of guy. You're positive you want to do this?" He could already feel his body responding to hers. It would be hell to pull away, and it would mean another shower, but he could do it if he had to.

Lexa leaned her head back and looked directly into Jesse's eyes. She placed her hands on either side of his face, making sure that he could see and hear everything she was trying to convey. "I told you that I loved you. That doesn't happen to just anyone. It took me a long time for me to put words to what I feel for you, but I did. And now that I have, I don't want it to go away, ever. I want to be with you Jesse, for as long as you'll have me."

Jesse finally let himself believe. "Then you better get used to forever, because that's how long I will want you."

There was a smile on Lexa's lips when Jesse's mouth came down on hers. It didn't take too long for it to disappear, though. Under Jesse's ministrations, her body seemed to loose all feeling. It was all she could do to keep up with him, and she was grateful for his strong arm, which had reached around her back.

When he came up for air, Lexa let out the exclamation, "Wow. You are really good at that."

He chuckled. "I'm really good at a lot of other things." His eyes motioned downward.

Lexa glanced down to see that, while he had been kissing her, he had also been unbuttoning her top. She hadn't even noticed. Playfully, she ran her hand around his waist, grasping the towel there and then ripping it off. Jesse flinched, but otherwise gave no indication that he had noticed. "Feel better? Did that even the score?" he asked, bending his head to nibble at her neck.

She dropped the towel to the floor. "Yeah. I feel better." She gave him a sly, satisfied grin. "What else are you good at?"

Jesse grinned back. "Just let me show you." He kissed her, moving forward, pushing her toward his bed. He spent the next few hours showing her all the things he was good at. Afterwards, he took another shower, this time with her, and she showed him some of the things _she_ was good at.  
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* * *

.  
The next morning, Jesse and Lexa were a little late meeting Shalimar and Jesse in the computer bay. Upon entering the room, Jesse moved over to Brennan, who was working at one of the terminals. "Find anything yet. Any ideas about whether we go to Charlottesville or Santa Rosa?"

"Not a thing. We just got here, and I started looking through that list that we got from Kellogg's cousin, hoping that maybe something else would pop out at me. But so far, I've got squat."

Meanwhile, Shalimar, who had been at a second terminal doing something similar, moved over to stand beside Lexa. In a whisper, she taunted the taller woman, "I can smell Jesse all over you."

Lexa squirmed, not quite sure what to say.

Shalimar chuckled softly. "Relax. I'm just teasing. But you'd better take care of him."

"Oh, I will. I'm not going anywhere. I love him."

Lexa startled herself with the whispered declaration, which left a slightly stunned expression on Shalimar's face.

"Hey, you two. What are you talking about?"

Shalimar looked back over to the boys when she heard Brennan's voice. While she was stunned at what Lexa had just admitted, and the fact that she had admitted it, she was happy about it. "Nothing. You find anything, Jess?"

"The only thing that seems a little strange is the order for dehumidifiers. I can't figure out why they're on the list. I know it's got to be important, but I can't figure out why.

A small buzzer sounded throughout the room. Brennan, recognizing the sound, checked the security cameras and saw Katie at the entrance, ever-present briefcase legal papers in hand. He hit the button for the speaker. "What's up, Kat? Is the plumbing broken now, and you have to come over here to work?" he joked.

"Nope." Her voice was curt but excited. "But I found some things you guys might want to see."

"I'll go meet her at the door." Brennan hefted himself out of his chair and lumbered towards the entrance. A few moments later, he returned, carrying Katie's briefcase.

Jesse slung his arm around his sister's shoulders, giving her a hug. "So, what's so interesting that you decided to burrow your way underground to join us?"

"Well you're in a good mood!"

Jesse quickly removed his arm and blushed slightly. "So?"

Katie was delighted that she had managed to fluster her brother, but was confused as to why she had been able to. She looked over to Lexa, who also had a small flush in her cheeks. Ah. So that was why. She sighed inwardly. As much as she would to tease and congratulate her brother about his relationship with the raven-haired woman, there were more important matters at hand. The meeting I had with the family attorney turned up some very interesting stuff. He gave me a copy of Grandpa Lawrence's will as well as copies of all the legal documents that Noah had hastily drawn up two years ago."

Jesse looked confused. "We know what happened with those documents. Why are they so interesting? And when did you start calling him Noah?"

Katie harrumphed. "I started calling him Noah after I read these documents. You're lucky, Jesse. You stopped believing in him two years ago. Take a look at this." She pulled a packet of stapled papers out of the briefcase she had brought with her. She handed it to Jesse, and the others crowded around behind him to get a look. "It's a copy of Grandpa's will. Take a look at section B. It stipulates that upon his death, Kilmartin Enterprises, and all subsidiaries and related matters would be put in trust for you and me until we were 21. The mansion went to you. Mom got the house in Philadelphia and I got the vacation home in Martha's Vineyard. Noah didn't get a thing."

Brennan looked up from the will to Katie. "He must have been pretty pissed about that when the will was read."

"But this doesn't make sense." Jesse glanced from Brennan to Katie as he spoke. "Mom and Noah told us that when Grandpa died he left everything to them."

"Well, we were both still underage at the time, and neither of us asked any questions. Now look at this one. Weeks before Grandpa died, the will's stipulations 'mysteriously' changed. This is the copy of the will that Board of Trustees at Kilmartin Enterprises was given. In this version, everything except the house in Philadelphia was willed to Noah. Now, a month before Grandpa died, his long-time lawyer died and Noah was 'helpful enough' to help him find a new one, a guy by the name of Phillip Mason. Both wills are dated three months before Lawrence's death. But this one –" she pointed to the first copy she handed him. "- was in a safety deposit box that Noah and the new lawyer didn't know about. Three months ago, Mason was brought up on charges of fraud, but got off on a technicality. Either way, the Board and I had already made the decision to fire him for incompetence. We hired a friend of mine, a 28-year-old Harvard Law graduate named David Yoltz, whom I met through a mutual friend years ago. He's been going through all the old records, but they're in an incredible mess, which is why it's been taking so long to get everything at K.E. straightened out. Last week, he found the records for the safety deposit box. Grandpa had left. In the event of his death, only you or me could access it as soon as we turned 18."

Jesse frowned. "I was with Mutant X by the time I was 18. That made me pretty untraceable. But what about you? Why didn't you find out about this when you turned 18?"

"I was away at college by then. Noah, mom and I weren't close. We were, well, estranged. I only came back when Noah suddenly handed over the reigns to me. But Jesse, even if you hadn't been with Mutant X when you turned 18 there was another reason why you wouldn't have been notified.

"What was that?" asked Shalimar.

Katie reached into her briefcase. Withdrawing a single sheet of paper, she handed it to Jesse, who took it with his left hand while using his right to pass the two versions of the wills to Lexa. When he read what was on the paper, his jaw tightened and it looked like he wanted to tear the paper to pieces, or at least crumple it into a ball and toss it across the room.

Brennan tried to look over Lexa to see the paper in Jesse's hand. "What is it?"

Jesse thrust the document at Brennan. "It's my death certificate."

"What?!" Lexa and Shalimar both bent over the document.

Katie nodded. "It was dated about a year after you were sent to Genomex, Jesse. According to the legal world, you're dead, and have been for about 8 years. Had anyone, particularly a dedicated member of Grandpa's former staff, tried to look for you they would have come to a dead end. No pun intended."

Lexa looked from the certificate to Katie. "Jesus. I knew your guys' father was a nasty S.O.B. but I didn't think he go so far as to declare his own son dead just to keep the inheritance."

"Oh, Noah's a lot worse than that."

"How could he be worse?" Shalimar said begrudgingly.

Once again, Katie reached into her briefcase. This time she pulled out a manila envelope full of papers and tossed them onto the countertop. "Take a look. These are Noah's personal documents. He kept them in his own private safety deposit box at a small independent bank. I guess when he turned over K.E. and Power of Attorney to me, he didn't realize that it would mean that I would have access to everything of his. He never did think about the ramifications of his actions."

Brennan, Shalimar and Lexa began to paw through the documents on the table. Jesse simply stood there, hands on his hips. His was shaking his head softly and obviously trying to control his anger. "Give me the simple version. What's in this paperwork?"

Katie sighed. "There're some records of his communication with Genomex. He was apparently under the assumption that the 'tests' Genomex was administering were going to kill you. All he asked of that company was that they notify him of your death. When it got closer to your 18th birthday and they still hadn't sent word of your death, he got them to sign off on the false death certificate. It worked for both sides: Genomex got free control over you and Noah didn't have to worry about you challenging him for control of the company. There's also some information about his break with the Keary's company, ZDT. He was actually glad you broke things off with Alisha because a union between the companies would create questions that he wouldn't be able to answer."

Jesse still said nothing. Lexa moved over to him and took his hand in hers. He gripped it tightly, comforted by her presence. Though his family today no longer included Noah Kilmartin, it still hurt that the man who was his father had done such things.

"What's this?" Shalimar's tone was pressing as she held up a packet of papers held together precariously with a binder clip.

Katie took the papers from her and flipped through them. "This was one thing I didn't really recognize. It's a bunch of records for some company called Desis Microchip Supply. It's not part of Kilmartin Enterprises. Apparently, Noah was gathering information on that company, but he also worked for them. From what I can tell, he's still working for them, as a security consultant. But I can't figure out why, or why he gave up control over K.E. I didn't get much information on Desis either. It's just some dinky startup company in Charlottesville, Virginia."

Brennan, Jesse and Lexa looked up sharply at the mention of the city's name. Shalimar had seen the name on the documents, which is why she had pulled it out of the pile in the first place. Jesse quickly, but respectfully, took the papers from Katie. Lexa leaned over his shoulder and they scanned the information.

"Chien-Tan Wu. I recognize that name. He's one of the council members. Holly Jacobs. She worked in the lab at Dominion HQ. I saw her name at one of the stations when I downloaded the virus. I recognize more than half the names on here as people who work for the Dominion. This is too much of a coincidence."

This time Katie looked confused. "What's a coincidence?"

Jesse and Lexa moved each moved to a computer, tacitly working together to research of Desis Microchip Supply. Shalimar took it upon herself to resolve Katie's confusion and explained. "We've gotten some leads as to possible locations where they're keeping Adam. We've narrowed it down to two places. Charlottesville is one of them."

"And the information he gathered about the company…for blackmail maybe? You know, just in case."

"Bingo. That's my best guess, given what he did with Nexxogen."

Brennan moved around the counter to stand behind Jesse and Lexa. "Anything?"

"Yeah," Jesse slowly drawled. "Desis was set up years ago, but it's only recently become active."

"And look at the satellite images of the area. A month ago, there was a sudden increase in the population – there's more car traffic, rentals are up in the area, etc. Look at this. The thermal scan shows this dark spot. Charlottesville isn't _that _small; there can't be a space this size without some people on it. This area isn't a bog or anything. There's got to be something there that they're trying to hide." As she spoke, Lexa brought the images up on the larger screen behind her for the others to see.

Jesse slapped his hand against his forehead in a classic 'stupid me' gesture. "The multispectrum particle analyzers and the dehumidifiers. It all makes sense." He typed a few keystrokes, opening and searching through some files. "Aha. Adam's work needs the analyzers. That area of the U.S. is particularly humid. The analyzers need dry air to function properly."

"Add that to the surge in utilities that's been going through there lately...," Shalimar said, pointing to a chart on one of the screens.

"And we've got the location where they're keeping Adam."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Once they realized that they had found Adam's location, plans were made quickly. They agreed to take the next day for research, to find out as much as they could about the area. The morning after that, they would drive down there, stake out the area during the day, and infiltrate in the evening, when there were likely to be fewer people around. It was decided that they would take two vehicles. "Just in case," Brennan had said. They didn't want to be stuck somewhere without transportation again. Jesse decided to bring with him several pounds of C-4 explosives. His plan was to place them in strategic locations and detonate them as necessary as distractions. If they didn't need them, he was going to detonate them anyway, in order to destroy the facility. He planned to get as many people out of harms way before that, though.

Once these big decisions had been made, Jesse stood up from the table where the five of them had sat. "Come on, Shal. I want to take care of this now."

"Jesse, you really should wait another day."

"It's been over twenty-four hours since I fixed Brennan's genetic structure. I'm fine. Plus, you're a feral, and your expiry date's pretty far away. That means it will be less painful for both you and me. Now let's go."

A little surprised by the vehemence in Jesse's voice, Shalimar stood and followed him into the medbay.

Katie blinked and looked over at Lexa and Brennan. "What was that all about?"

Lexa sighed. "He's scared. He's angry too. The poor guy never talks about his emotions, but he doesn't have to. He's an open book when it comes to them."

"Well, I understand why he's angry. When I found out what Noah had done to him, I wanted to rake the man over the coals. But why scared? He's not afraid of confronting the Dominion again, is he? He's done it before.

"No, I don't think so. He just wants to heal Shalimar before we go in case anything happens to him."

Katie looked worried for a moment, so Brennan did his best to reassure her. "I'm not going to lie, this mission is dangerous, but we all look out for each other. He'll be okay. Now, I'm gonna go to medbay, just to make sure everything goes okay. You guys – er, girls – want to come?"

They did. They rose from their seats and followed him.

Jesse had been right about Shalimar. It had taken him less than three minutes to adjust her structure. And while the process had drained his energy, he had not passed out this time. He was alert enough, in fact, to insist that he check Lexa's and Brennan's cellular structures, to make sure that everything was progressing well. It was.

They drove down in two separate cars late the next morning, with the girls in one and the boys in the other. Jesse, had spent the first couple of hours of the six hour drive sleeping, but spent the next four in contact with Lexa. The two were using wireless networks and communicating via comrings, trying to dig up some more about the building or DMS in general. The only thing they had managed to find were blueprints from when the building was first built, 5 years ago.

"There is no way of knowing what kind of changes had been made since," Jesse said, broadcasting his voice over the comrings so they all could hear him. "But the biggest open space was in the east wing of the building. Based on how big the Creator's lab was at Dominion HQ, I'm guessing that's where he, and thus Adam, will be."

"Agreed," Lexa said. "Jesse – the south side is where the power lines connect to the building. I'm sure the facility has back up power, but there will be a delay before it does. That would be a good place for some of the C-4."

Brennan nodded as he drove, agreeing with what was being said, although no one was looking at him. "Sounds good. Shalimar – do you think you can hunt down Adam while Lexa and I provide cover."

"Sure, but let's hope it's not needed. But why don't you or Lexa go with Jesse, give him some cover, just in case."

"No," Jesse said. "I'm going to be phasing into some tight spots. If there's just one person, there's less of a chance of being seen. Plus, you guys will be going through some of the more heavily guarded locations. You'll need all three of you."

Grudgingly, Shalimar admitted that he was right. "Fine. Hey, Jesse?"

"Yeah?"

"You remember that shield the Creator put up when we tried to get to Adam? Do you have any ideas how we can get through it?"

"My best guess is that it acts a lot like our shields in Sanctuary. We might be able to disable it with a sonic frequency modulator. Lexa made one this morning. I wouldn't count on it though. You'd only have time for a few tries, and the chances of finding the exact frequency aren't good. Your best shot is getting through there before they have a chance to use it."

"Okay. Anything else we should know?"

"Lexa and I will update you on the layout of the building once we arrive, but that's about it. We should get there about 5 o'clock and have a few hours to stake the place out before we go in. Katie, can you do that satellite search and send it to Lexa and me?"

"Yeah, give me five minutes," Katie said from the safety of The Cave. Jesse had given her a crash course in their computer systems the night before, and she had taken to them like a duck to water. All communications were going to be routed through her, and she would be able to provide them data as it became available. "Okay, patching it through now."

"Looks good," Lexa said from the other car. "The photos show movement on the outside on each of the five sides. Katie, let us know if and when it clears. Based on the size of the building, I have the feeling the day staff will don't live on site and will be going home. If the security guards are following standard protocol, there will be a gap in patrol at some point. We just have to watch for it."

"Keep an eye out for security cameras too," Shalimar said. "Brennan, Adam and I got in a little too easily last time. I have the feeling the might have increased security. Brennan, do you think you could short some of them out?"

"Maybe. It depends on what type of cameras they have. Some of the newer ones can only be shorted out for a few seconds. They switch to internalized back up circuits, which immunize themselves against that electric frequency."

"We'll just have to move fast, then." Shalimar flexed the fingers on her right hand as she drove.

At 7:30 that evening, the four mutants were hidden in multiple locations around the building that housed Desis Microchip Supply. Darkness was upon them, giving them an advantage with the glaring, setting sun behind them. Lexa, Brennan and Shalimar were concealed in a tree line 30 feet from the west side of the building. Jesse was on the south side, waiting for the right moment to move in and plant the explosives. Katie had been monitoring the guards for the past two hours, looking for patterns in their movements. Finally, the time came. Katie's voice came in softly over their comrings. "Okay, guys. There should be a gap in the patrol in 5…4…3…2…1…Go, now!"


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Shalimar, Lexa and Brennan moved in low, dashing quickly from the tree line to the side of the building, where they flattened themselves against the wall.

Staying silent so as not to attract any attention, Shalimar jabbed Brennan with her elbow and pointed to a digital camera aimed at the door through which they had been planning to enter.

Brennan nodded. In one hand, he rolled his fingers, working up a small tesla coil. In the other, his fingers gave a silent countdown. When they reached zero, Brennan gave the camera a controlled zap and indicated for Lexa and Shalimar to move past him. They did so swiftly, and within 2 seconds, the three of them were in the building. Behind them, the camera paused for a moment more, then resumed it's scanning.

Using hand signals, they made their way down the hall and through the building, weaving their way through the corridors, heading toward the east wing.

* * *

On the south side of the building, Jesse cinched his backpack tighter on his shoulder. From his position, he saw the other three move uneventfully into the building. He silently sent them luck, and turned his attention back to the guards. When the one patrolling the perimeter passed him, he moved quickly to the shed, attached to the building, which housed the generator. As he did so, he phased, making himself less visible, should the guards turn around early. Never dropping the phase, he slid through the door and into the shed. He took two minutes to look around, find the best place, and plant two military issue charges of C-4. "Katie," he whispered into his ring. "Is the west entrance still clear?"

"Negative. The camera's been reactivated. Take the east one."

Jesse ran his thumb over the ring, closing the channel. He looked at his watch, waited 30 seconds for the guard to pass outside, and then phased out of the shed. He glanced both ways, before shuffling alongside the building. He got halfway to the other entrance when he paused, noticing a metal panel on the floor. He quickly knelt down and lifted the panel, peering inside. When he saw a ladder, he knew what he had found. Checking his surroundings one more time, he slipped into the exposed tunnel, firmly closing the hatch above him an instant before the guards turned around to face his location.

There was a single light on the left wall illuminating the otherwise dark tunnel. "Katie – I found what looks like the escape tunnel. I'm entering the building through it. Alert me when the others are ready."

"Got it. I'll let them know your position as soon as they contact me."

Again, Jesse deactivated the comring. He made his way cautiously down the tunnel, keeping a sharp eye in front of him and glancing back occasionally to make sure no one had followed. He had to be ready on a moments notice to protect himself, as there were no side tunnels or bulky objects to hide behind if he was discovered.

After five minutes, he had uneventfully made his way to the end of the corridor, where he encountered a large, lightweight reinforced door. Checking for security cameras and guards, he carefully opened the door. When he saw nothing, he quickly slipped through door and into the shadows of a staircase on the other side of the hallway. Noting the position of the staircase in relation to the rest of the building, he slipped another C-4 charge from his bag. He quickly planted it and the blasting cap in an inconspicuous location. Checking the hallway as he moved, Jesse stealthily moved to his next target.

* * *

Lexa felt a quick tug on her sleeve before she was dragged backwards in to an alcove. When her body came to a halt, she looked around, seeing Shalimar holding a finger to her lips. Brennan was on her other side. A few moments later, a pair of scientists rounded the nearby corner, passing the alcove they were ensconced in without incident.

Relieved, Lexa nodded her thanks to Shalimar. She might not have noticed the pair until it was too late. The three of them resumed their trek. They were almost to the east wing. It had been almost and hour. There had been many times when it was necessary for them to duck behind something and wait. At one point, they had been stuck in the stalls of the women's bathroom for 15 minutes as they waited for two women, who were gossiping, to leave.

Scouting around the next corner, Lexa indicated to Brennan and Shalimar that there were two guards positioned at a wide door. Once the guard closest to them had turned away, she and Brennan moved quickly. She fired a laser at the far guard before he had a chance to cry out. The man stumbled back, his head bouncing off the wall behind him. At the same time, Brennan reached his hand around the guard whose back had been turned, firmly covering the man's nose and mouth, stifling any noise the man might have made. He quickened the man's descent into unconsciousness by applying a small, non-fatal zap to his head. Once the two men were down, Shalimar, whose fighting style was a bit noisier, came over and patted down the pockets of the two men. Finding an electronic access card, she passed it through the panel on the right hand side of the door. After watching the heavy metal doors slid open, she slipped the card into her back pocket, and stepped through the door, Lexa and Brennan close behind.

Jesse found the four vertical steel beams that ran through the center of the building. If possible, his plan was to blow these four columns, which would remove the buildings structural support, effectively causing a collapse. Moving quickly, he placed C-4 units and blasting caps low on and in the shadows of the columns, so as to be less likely to be spotted by the patrolling sentries. He moved again, this time making for one of the exits so he could cover their escape when the time came. On his way, he passed a large room with a high ceiling. Consulting his memory on the plans of the building, he remembered that this area, located in the center of the building was supposed to be three stories. Apparently, one of the changes the Dominion had made was to knock out the floors, essentially carving a large space into the center of the building. The room was approximately 50 by 30 feet, with a ceiling that must have been 30 feet high. Jesse wondered why they had done such a thing. They had removed valuable working space to carve an empty room? Scanning the room, he soon figured out why. Every wing and corridor opened out into this room. Catwalks ran along the sides of the walls, acting as pathways, connecting them. A guard standing in the center of the room would be able to see people entering and exiting each corridor. Staying out of sight of the two guards who paced around the center of the room, Jesse moved to the west side of the room. He ducked under a tarp that had been draped over a stack of boxes on that side of the room, positioning himself so that he could see people exiting the east wings and corridors. He made the decision to stay where he was. This new configuration of the building would make him far more valuable here than outside, where he couldn't see what was going on. Jesse quickly ran his thumb over his comring once, twice, turning on and off quickly. The action would allow Katie to get a fix on his location, and prevent the guard from hearing any unexpected communication he might receive. Shifting to his knees, Jesse settled in to wait.

* * *

Shalimar, Brennan and Lexa were a little surprised. Instead of opening into a large, open room, like they had at Dominion headquarters, this room was filled with storage supplies.

"Damn it. Wrong room," Brennan whispered harshly.

"But why the guards?"

"I don't know. Maybe this is important stuff. Either way, we've got to go."

They quickly left the room, stepping over the still unconscious guards. Shalimar directed them to the left, toward another corridor of the east wing.

* * *

Jesse's knees were starting to ache. He had been in this position for more than 30 minutes. Still, there had been no sign of the others. He was almost to the point where he was going to retreat to the outside of the building, where he could get an update from Katie without alerting anyone to his presence.

His contemplation stopped abruptly when the guard's radio crackled. "1-7, this is SC. Ross and Davidson aren't responding at East Beta. Any anomalies from your location?"

Jesse watched as the guard swiveled his attention scanning the catwalks, focusing on the third floor. "Negative, SC. All's quiet. Will keep watch, though."

Jesse eyes stayed on the third floor a moment longer than the guard's did. His other senses registered the fact that the guard turned his head to ask his partner if he had seen anything unusual. What his eyes saw made his heart stop. Shalimar, Lexa and Brennan were moving haltingly along a long stretch of wall from one hallway to another on the east side of the building. The angle of the third floor catwalk to the ground below was such that they would never be able to see the guards below, who could easily see them through the one-way transparent walkways. If the guards were to look up…

His eyes swiveled back to the guard, hoping that wouldn't happen, but Jesse's worst fear came true. The second guard began to turn his head, angling it upward so he could search the third floor catwalks. In that split second, Jesse made a decision. Standing up, he put his hands on a couple of the carefully balanced boxes, and pushed.


	27. Chapter 27

* * *

Chapter 27

* * *

On the catwalk two stories above, Brennan, Shalimar and Lexa froze when they heard a clatter echo through the building. The echo was such that it was difficult to pinpoint the sound's origin. Lexa thumbed her comring. "Katie, where's Jesse?"

Katie's voice was calm; she was unaware of the sudden event. "Forty feet west of your location and two stories below."

Lexa quickly glanced over to Brennan and Shalimar. She saw her own worry reflected in their eyes. Knowing the risk, she moved the 10 feet to the edge of the catwalk, and looked over the railing. What she saw make her breath catch in her throat, but she quickly retreated back to the wall. "It's Jesse. He's engaged the guards." Lexa and Brennan both began to move back toward the railing, moving to help Jesse, but Shalimar stopped them.

"No. If he's engaged the guards, it's for a good reason. Let's move." She urged them down the hall, and within moments, they had ducked into the shadows of a second corridor.

Brennan spoke first, his voice hushed, aware that they still had to lay low. "Why would he engage the guards? We're not here to bring down the Dominion, just to get Adam."

Shalimar glanced around the corner to where they had been. As she watched, she heard a laser bolt discharge. The round came up through the floor where they had just been standing. Her feral eyesight picked up on something, and she immediately understood. She turned back around. "He's providing a distraction. The catwalk is made of one-way glass. The guards below can see up, but we couldn't see down. Jesse knew they could see us and distracted them."

"Why didn't he just detonate one of the explosives?"

Lexa closed here eyes, willing back her worry for Jesse's safety. When she opened them again, they were filled with sadness because she knew that they couldn't help Jesse now, not without jeopardizing the entire mission. "Because that would instigate an all out search and lockdown of the building. If they catch him, they won't go looking for anyone else."

Brennan barely stopped himself from slamming his hand against the wall. "Shit! We screwed up."

"No. Not yet. Jesse's given us some time. Let's use it. The best thing to do now is get Adam, and then get Jesse." Shalimar's voice was furious and frustrated, but her words instilled them all with even more determination to succeed in their mission.

.

* * *

.

Jesse didn't wait to see the boxes fall. The moment he felt them give way, he scrambled out from underneath the tarp. Five feet later, he encountered the first guard. Jesse threw up one arm to block the man's outstretched arm, which was swinging toward him in a vicious punch. With his other hand, in a practiced move, he sent the side of his hand into where the man's throat met his neck. The crunching sound told him that he'd crushed the man's larynx, effectively making the man silent, and disabling him all in one blow.

He did not have as much luck with the second guard. The other sentry had been 30 feet away, so as he charged towards Jesse, he had enough time to call for help. "3-8 to all units, intruder in section A." The man did not have time to communicate more details because Jesse was upon him, sending a flurry of punches. This man was better trained than the first, however. His loose, almost military issue uniform and trained, toned body gave him the flexibility and strength to block most of Jesse's punches, as well as land a couple of his own. Jesse recognized the man's skill and switched to a different fighting style. He didn't have any back up in this fight and he'd have to act like it. He managed to divert both the man's hands and then sent a swift kick to the man's solar plexus. The man staggered back, but quickly recovered, drawing his Dominion issued sidearm. Recognizing the movement a half a second before it happened, Jesse sent a high roundhouse kick to the man's hand, just as the trigger was pulled. The weapon fired harmlessly toward the third floor catwalk, where, Jesse saw, the others were no longer standing. Unfortunately, the guard was able to keep his hold on the weapon. Recovering from the kick, he drew his weapon forward, firing as he did so. Jesse was already thinking ahead and darted to the right. The laser bolt from the weapon ended up going wide to his left, but scorched a trail across his arm, almost identical to the laser burn that the Lexa clone had given him months before.

By this time, reinforcements had arrived from the other hallways. They began circling Jesse, recognizing the danger the man presented. Jesse hesitated a moment. He knew he would have to be captured, to avoid an all out search of the building, but he had to make sure they thought he had gone unwillingly.

Finally, one of the five newcomers threw a punch at Jesse. Jesse phased, letting the man's momentum carry him through Jesse's body and into the guards that were behind him. The other four, plus the second guard from before, began to attack simultaneously. Jesse massed, letting their hands hit against his hardened form. He heard at least one bone crack. More punches were thrown. Eventually, Jesse had to breathe, and the moment he did so, he sent his fists and feet flying, switching from defense to offense. It felt like that went on forever, but it was only a few minutes. With his skill, Jesse could have easily defeated all six of them. But he was actively making an effort to pull his punches. He was aiming to disable, not to kill. That ultimately proved to be the deciding factor. Jesse was fighting off one man, choosing to move his hands around and send a kick to the man's knees, rather than slamming his palm in to the man's sternum, which could have stopped his heart. The extra time needed for the maneuver gave another guard the chance to whack Jesse across the back of his head with the butt of his gun, which couldn't be fired in such close quarters without the risk of hitting one of his own. Jesse went down to his knees, and the others took the chance to jump on his back, using their combined weight to force him to the ground. Jesse continued to struggle, making sure the guards got the impression that he was a stupid young man who didn't know when to quit. When he felt the familiar feel of a certain weapon on the back of his neck, he instinctually froze as the weapon fired. _Aw, crap,_ he thought, as he felt the cold sensation of wires and chemicals blocking his mutant powers. The guards jerked him upright, and he continued to resist, maintaining the illusion of recklessness. One of the guards finally put a stop to it when he cold cocked Jesse across the temple with his sidearm. _Aw, double crap. _Jesse felt his body sag and darkness caved over his vision.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

* * *

Lexa, Shalimar and Brennan took advantage of the distraction that Jesse's attack had provided them. The number of guards at each point was reduced, as one from each pair ran off to cover other stations left unprotected by the disturbance. With swift, sure movements, Shalimar sent a series of kicks at the two of the guards left in the hallway. The adrenaline surging through the men's body from being on alert proved to be a double-edged sword. While it had made them more alert, it had also made them more reckless, which proved to be an advantage for Shalimar. She had both the men down in less than 5 seconds, neither of them having the chance to call for backup.

Brennan moved in to disable the electronic security system, but Shalimar tossed him a key card, which she had pulled of the guard she had just downed. Brennan used it to open the door. When the system requested further identification in the form of a handprint, he hefted one of the unconscious guards up so he could place the man's hand on the pad. The door opened, allowing them access. They dragged the two men inside, to confuse any other guards and possibly give them more time.

Straightening up, they found a wall directly in front of them, which split into two different directions. Lexa looked over to Shalimar and Brennan, who both shrugged. They didn't have a guess as to which way to go either. Lexa looked at Shalimar and tapped her nose, making the motion a question by furrowing her brows. Shalimar paused; she had already tried to track Adam's scent, but hadn't any luck. It was worth a second try though. Shalimar's eyes flashed feral yellow and she sniffed the air. Again, there were no definitive human scents. All she could smell was recycled air mixed with the acids and sulfates of a scientific lab; and that indicated to her that they were in the right place. Looking back to the others, she indicated to them that she didn't smell Adam, but because of the laboratory smells, knew that they were on the right track.

Brennan saw her point to the floor with a determined look on her face. Good, they were close. Remembering the two hallways, he pointed his index fingers down the hallways, asking if they should split up. Lexa shook her head. Separating into two groups would increase their chances of being caught. Plus, they would be better able to defend themselves and defeat guards if there were more. She pointed to the left hallway. They could check this one first.

Creeping down the hallway, they turned several corners, finally stopping when they came to a large dark room. It was eerily reminiscent of the Creator's research area from Dominion HQ. The room was dark, save for a lone man, sitting on a high-backed stool, his back to them. His hair ran long down his back, and was looked as if it were sun-bleached, though they all knew that the man probably hadn't been in the sun for months, if not years, maybe decades. The man was moving his arms through the air, interacting with a hologram splayed out in front of him.

Lexa pulled on Brennan and Shalimar's shoulders. They weren't here fore the Creator, they were here for Adam; it's a quick 'snatch and grab.' Understanding her, Shalimar and Brennan turned around and headed back the way they came. Lexa spared a glance back at the man who had been guiding the Dominion and genetic research for over a century. She experienced a quick flash of distain for this man. Because of him, she and her brother had been outcasts. Her brother had died because of the things that this man, no, this thing, had done. Who was he to think that he could control the whole world, and direct human evolution? Part of existence was learning through mistakes. How many people had died or been hunted because of what he had made them? A small part of her was indebted to him, though. It was because of the events that he had set in motion that she had met Jesse and Shalimar and Brennan. Life would have been very different without those events. She drew herself upright. No use worrying about what might have been. This is the way that things were, and she had to work with that. Turning her back on the eccentric in the room, she followed Brennan and Shalimar.

They backtracked to the entryway; the guards still hadn't regained consciousness. Going down the other hallway, they found a similar maze of turns. This time, however, at the end was a large white room, reminiscent of a laboratory. There were half a dozen computers, as well as beakers and chemicals. In one corner was a stand containing more than two dozen samples of what looked like blood. At the second computer terminal, a man in a white lab coat stood, his head bent down. Though there was a chair behind him, he did not use it. They waited at the corner of the room for the man to turn. They already suspected who he was, but had to make sure. Finally the man turned, and he was exactly who they thought. They stepped around the final corner, silently approaching Adam.  
.

* * *

.

"Excuse me, sir?"

The man in the chair spun around, a phone plastered to his ear. "I'll call you back. Yes, Agent, what can I do for you?" The man's voice was smug. He was in a position of authority, he had power. And he liked it. Some of the members of the board that hired him had cast doubts, but he had managed to sway them. But this position was just a foot in the door. He was maneuvering himself. When the time came, he would be ready to step into his natural position.

"We've captured an intruder."

"Only one?"

"We believe he was acting alone. He's a mutant, sir. We managed to implant a subdermal governor, but not before we needed to send three agents to the hospital."

"Given the nature of our business, I'm not surprised it's a mutant, or that he's here. The question is how he found us and got past external security. I'd better have a chat with him. Is he in the SC?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, then. Let's have look see at what we've managed to get our hands on."  
.

* * *

.

Shalimar approached Adam from behind. He seemed very intent on his work. It was not unheard of for him to be so intent, but it was unusual. Even without feral senses, he could usually tell when someone was in the room, not to mention 20 feet away from him, as Shalimar was. Finally, though he was still facing the terminal, he seemed to sense someone else's presence in the room.

"I've already told you, it will have to wait. This takes priority right now. Give me 20 minutes then I'll decrypt those damn codes."

He thought they were someone else. She tilted her head, while she and the others waited for him to realize his mistake.

After a few moments, when the presence didn't recede, Adam turned around. "How many times do I have to tell – Shalimar!"

"Adam," she said neutrally. She had been hoping that he would have resisted the Dominion's offer and threats, but it appeared he hadn't. When he had moved, she recognized the image on the computer. It was the same image that he had been playing with when she, Brennan and Jesse had found him at the abandoned military base.

"Brennan! Lexa?"

"You sound surprised to see me Adam." Lexa's voice was also toneless.

"I must admit that I am. Your expiry date was a couple days ago."

"Yeah, well, that's no longer an issue."

"Really," Adam said with interest. He tapped a finger against his lips. "How did you manage that? I didn't think that I had –"

"This isn't a social call Adam." Brennan's voice was gruff and loud. Realizing the volume, he calmed himself and lowered his voice. "We're here to pull you out. We've got to go. Now. We've got to get Jesse before anything happens to him."

"Jesse? I was wondering where he was. Where is he?"

"He engaged the guards. To keep them from seeing us. To give us more time to find you." Lexa was as antsy as Brennan. She wanted to find Jesse, and get them all out of here. Adam's focus on his work had thrown her for a bit of a loop. She didn't know what she had expected, but given his resistance during his capture, she certainly didn't expect him to find him doing research. For the Dominion.

"You're going to want to find him first, then. If he was captured, the Chief of Security will interrogate him. When he does, he'll know that you're here."

"What makes you think Jesse would talk? He would never give us up." Brennan was indignant, insulted by the idea that Adam thought Jesse would crack under the pressures of interrogation.

"Jesse wouldn't have to talk. The CoS knows him, knows that he's a part of Mutant X."

The three mutants in the room paused, waiting for him to explain.

Adam saw that they were not understanding. "The Chief of Security is Noah Kilmartin."


	29. Chapter 29

**AN: **Thank you all for the reviews! I got twice as many for Chapter 28 as I did for other chapters! I was surprised that people were surprised that Noah was the CoS. I thought I had given it away. Anyway, here's the next chapter…I'm working on the ending now…my guess is that the story will be about 33 chapters.

**Chapter 29**

Adam was surprised that they didn't seem more shocked to find that Jesse's father was Chief of Security for the Dominion facility.

"Damn," was all Shalimar said.

Adam shot her a questioning look.

"Noah's actually how we found you, and we knew he worked for the dummy corporation, but we didn't know he was that high up in the organization."

"Well, I'm sure that if Jesse was captured, Noah will be notified. Probably as a matter of procedure. He knows that Jesse has friends, and that he wouldn't have come alone."

"Damn," Lexa said. They'll institute an all out search then. We've got to get to him before that happens, before they do anything to him."

"Noah wouldn't kill him, would he?" Brennan asked.

"I wouldn't count on it. Jesse's already 'dead,' remember?" Lexa said angrily. "Katie, do you have a fix on Jesse's position?"

Katie's voice crackled over their comrings. "Twenty feet down, sixty feet southwest of your position. Is there anything I can do?"

"Run a thermal scan. Let us know how many people are left in the building." Lexa cut off the connection. Then she looked to Adam.

He knew what she wanted. "That's the location of Security Command. They've caught him. Why don't you guys go? I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes."

Lexa and Shalimar were already heading for the door. When she heard Adam's words, Shalimar stopped and glared at Adam. "What? Adam, it's not like we're leaving for a party. We've got to get out of this building. You've got to come with us, now. We might not have another chance."

"Just give me ten minutes. I need to download some of this research."

"Adam!"

"Please, Shalimar. This is my life's work. It would take me 20 years to discover this kind of stuff. There's no way I have it memorized."

Shalimar sighed in disbelief. "Adam! What's more important to you! Jeez." Her voice was bitter. "Fine. Lexa and I will go find Jesse. Brennan, you stay here with Adam. You've got five minutes. They we're leaving. I don't care if Brennan has to electrocute you and drag you out."

* * *

Jesse saw the punch coming, but there was nothing he could do about it. He waited, then winced when the fist hit his rib cage for the third time. This time, though, he could feel a rib crack. _That's not a problem. As soon as this governor is deactivated, it'll take 10 seconds for me to heal that._ Jesse comforted himself with the thought.

"I'll ask you again. Who do you work for?"

Jesse traced his tongue over his split lip. _This will be another two seconds. _So far, he was up to one minute 45 seconds for repairs. As much as he could, he looked his captors in the eye. "If you really think that I'm going to tell you that, you're deluded."

The man who had thrown the punch – the second guard that he had attacked – drew back. He pointed to the other person in the room, another 'interrogator.' "Okay, then. We'll just have see how much more you can stand. John." He indicated for the other man to go ahead.

John stepped forward with a taser. Jesse laughed to himself. The instrument was designed to give the subject an electrical shock. They had already used it, and Jesse could see that John was turning the dial to increase the intensity. What he found so funny, however, was the fact that none of those settings carried any more electricity than Brennan did. All those shocks that Brennan had given him, 'accidental' or not, had given him somewhat of an immunity to the ones he was receiving now. As it was applied, the electrical shock was uncomfortable, but bearable. He'd have to thank Brennan later.

The two men began to grow frustrated that they couldn't seem to shake or break Jesse. This was another thing for which Jesse was grateful. Frustration led to incompetence. It would give the others more time to get out. Jesse's amusement at the flustered guards ceased when he heard talking outside the door. John looked up. "Ah. The Chief's here. He'll take care of this guy."

The door opened and he could hear the Chief of Security enter the room. Turning his head to look at him proved to be a bit of a problem, as his forehead was strapped to the high-backed chair in which he had been restrained. He had to wait until the man was standing directly in front of him. When Jesse finally did see the man, he couldn't help the words that came out of his mouth. "Well I'll be damned. If it isn't dear old dad."

* * *

Brennan paced the room. He didn't like this. They should be moving. He felt like he was standing right out in the open, waiting for the enemy to shoot him dead. "What the hell are you doing, Adam, that takes so long?"

"Patience Brennan. This is a big file. It will take awhile for it to download."

"Why don't you just send it to Sanctuary's mainframe? Wouldn't it go faster that way?"

"It would be traceable. Besides, Sanctuary's been destroyed. It'll take forever to rebuild the system and databases."

"What are you talking about? There was a backup for the mainframe. Jesse had it hooked up almost a week ago."

Adam, who had been pacing as well, waiting for the information to download, stopped and looked up. "Really?"

Brennan gave an exasperated sigh. "Really, really. He said you did it."

"No. All that information has to be split up in order to hide it on other servers and satellites. I never managed to split up the systems and keep the appropriate links. I guess Jesse found a way and did it while I was gone."

"Yeah, lot of things happened while you were gone. Did you even try to escape this place? It looks like you've got a cushy little set-up here. Decided to play nice with your captors, eh? A little Stockholm syndrome?"

"Brennan. I don't want to be here. But security's pretty tight, and I figured I might as well get some work done."

"Your 'work' is helping the Dominion, Adam! It's helping the people who are trying to kill us! And security's not tight. We had no problems getting in."

"Getting in isn't the problem, getting out is the problem. And my work isn't that simple. It's complicated. It's about saving the human race, about curing all disease!"

"And what about the work you do on the way? About the people you meet? Are they just mistakes? Is that what we are to you Adam? Mistakes?"

"Of course not! It's just… You wouldn't understand."

"What? What wouldn't I understand? Try me, Adam. I can be a pretty understanding guy."

"I was engineered, Brennan! My entire life, everything was engineered. This work feels like it's the only thing that's mine."

"Is that all?"

"What do you mean, 'is that all?' This is a big deal. My parents, everything, everyone I met. It was all engineered."

Brennan chuckled. "Adam, jeez. So what? _I'm_ genetically engineered. There are thousands more just like us, including Shal and Jesse and Lexa. It's not that big a deal anymore. And don't gripe about not having real parents. You had parents who were there and cared for you. None of us even had that. You've got friends, too. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here. Plus, everything was designed so that you could do what you love to do! So give up the martyr act."

"That's just it, Brennan. Everything was designed so I could do what I loved, and what I loved was exactly what the Creator loved. I'm a clone of him."

"Yeah, I got that when I saw his face and it looked just like yours. But Adam, remember that little thing about nature versus nurture? You're a scientist. You should know this! Genes, even genetically engineered ones, don't dictate who you are! If that were the case, I'd be in jail like my old man. And Jesse would be a heartless son of a bitch who'd sell his kid for money. But we're not like that. You're not like the Creator. You're not some guy who holes up in a dark room, searching for perfection that doesn't exist! At least, not the Adam I knew. I'm not sure what you've been doing this past year."

Brennan's tirade had stunned Adam into silence. The beep of the computer as it finished downloading a file echoed in the room, startling him out of his silence. Reaching out, he withdrew the disc. He stared at it for a moment, then handed it to Brennan. Brennan shot him a questioning look before slipping it into his back pocket. Adam shot him a determined smile. "You're right. I guess I got so wrapped up in the genetics that I forgot about the human side. Forget the rest. Let's get out of here."

Brennan gave him a doubtful look, but then smiled. "All right. Let's go."

The two men jogged quickly toward the door, and through the hallway. But as they reached the door, they had to stop when the lights suddenly blinked out, the building shook and the sound of an explosion echoed through the building.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

"Jesse, Jesse, Jesse."

"Noah, Noah, Noah."

"Jesse, Jesse, Jesse."

"I think we've established our names. Let's move past the pleasantries."

"Yes, let's." Noah turned to the two guards in the room. "Both of you, initiate a search and lockdown of the building. There are more of them here. Sweep the perimeter and double check all security measures."

They saluted and left the room.

Noah waited until they had left, and then reached down and patted Jesse on the head condescendingly with one hand. With the other hand, he reached behind the chair to remove the ring from Jesse's finger. Holding it up in front of Jesse, he said. "Wouldn't want you to contact your friends, now, would we?"

"Aww. You remember. And here I thought you didn't care."

Noah backhanded Jesse across the jaw, the ring still in his clenched fist.

_One minute, 50 seconds._ Jesse touched his tongue to his lip, which was now bleeding on the other side.

Noah bent down so his face was only inches from Jesse's. "Don't get smart with me, boy." He tossed the ring onto the small table in corner of the small room. The table already held Jesse's other belongings, including his pocketknife, a handful of change and the detonators for the C-4 he had planted.

"It's a little late to be playing daddy."

Noah almost made a move to hit him again, but then apparently thought better of it. Instead, he moved back to the table, examining Jesse's belongings. The older man chuckled. "Too true. But then again, according to the records, I don't have a son anymore."

"Yeah. I saw that. Who did you have to suck up to in order to pull that off? Eckhart?"

Noah picked up the detonators. Recognizing the box for what it was, he tossed it onto the floor, and crushed it with the heel of his foot. Then he looked up to Jesse and smiled sardonically. "No one actually. Apparently, you were of great interest to them. They way the told it, you had survived quite a number of their tests. They wanted to see what it would take to kill you. Signing your death certificate gave them the opportunity to do so without family and friends raising questions. Speaking of friends, yours have got to be around somewhere. It was a bit of a surprise to find out that the mutant my force captured was you. As soon as I'm done here, I'll have to make sure we find the others. What were their names again?"

Jesse harrumphed and ignored the attempt to Noah was making to unnerve him. "What the hell are you doing here? You had all you wanted – you had control over K.E."

"Ah, yes. That was nice, for a while. You see, that was control, but it wasn't power."

Jesse raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, Jesse, you don't understand. Ownership of Kilmartin Enterprises was just that. Ownership. Well, I got to make a few decisions here and there, but the only thing the company was good for was to make money. Don't get me wrong, money's a great thing. But once you get to a certain point, it just doesn't mean anything anymore. You have to go after the real thing."

"Ah, so that's why you dumped it on Katie."

"Yes, Katie. I guess you've made contact with her since I last saw you. You must have given her quite a shock, you being a dead man and all."

Jesse said nothing, giving Noah a hard stare and following the man with his eyes as he paced across the room.

Noah saw Jesse's accusing eyes and felt compelled to continue. "But yes, that's why I dumped it on her. I can get it back if I want to. I'm sure she's noticed that there's a clause that revokes control whenever I want. My lawyer saw to that."

Jesse smiled. "Mason's gone, Noah. Fired for gross incompetence. Months ago. The new lawyer's got everything down."

Noah raised a brow, but then shrugged. "Doesn't really matter. I don't really want the company back anyway. When the Dominion and the Creator really get things going, they're going to control governments, nations, peoples all over the world. I'll be there to be the security director. With the kind of control the Dominion will have… Oh, that'll be real power, Jesse. People will do anything for them, to get have the chance at becoming the perfect human."

"No one's perfect. Least of all you. You're one of the sloppiest people I know. You didn't know that Lawrence kept an original copy of his will in a different location. I've seen the original. Nothing like the version you gave to the Board. I'll bet they're real happy when they see that. And I'll bet _you_ didn't even realize that when you signed K.E. over to Katie you also gave her power of attorney. You know what that gave us? All your 'secret' papers. We found the death certificate, the papers from ZDT and your packet of papers you were going to use to blackmail Desis Supply – the Dominion. You're so sloppy, it's pathetic. The Dominion wouldn't give you any control if you were the last person on earth."

Noah's eye had been ticking while Jesse spoke. Finally, though, his anger got the best of him. He sent a punch across Jesse's jaw and another into his ribs. Then he leaned in and hissed, "It doesn't really matter. I can still get control of K.E. if I have to. After all, you're already dead, and I'm Katie's next of kin." He pulled back, a wicked grin on his face.

"You sick bastard."

"Now, now. No name-calling. You know, I'm supposed to interrogate you, but I can't really think of any reason to. I mean, I already know who you work for. I know that your precious Sanctuary was destroyed, and we've got Adam. You've got nothing." He reached under his coat and pulled out a gun. "So I don't really need you," he said, pointing the weapon at Jesse's head and pulling the hammer back with a click.  
.

* * *

.

It didn't take Shalimar and Lexa too long to find Security Command. The excitement that Jesse's capture had created had left the night shift's remaining guards off balance. They had only encountered two, and those men had been down before they even knew there was someone else there. On the way, Lexa had contacted Katie about the results of the thermal scan. There were about three dozen people in the building, dispersed in such a configuration that it was clear that they were the security guards.

Within three minutes of leaving Adam's laboratory, they had found their way to security's headquarters. They waited around the corner as a half a dozen men, a couple nursing bloody noses, marched out of the office, presumably to resume their posts. Once the men moved out of sight, the two women slipped in the door, careful to avoid the roving security camera posted above the door.

Once they were in the office, they promptly encountered half a dozen more guards who were still lingering in the office. Before any of them could draw their weapons, Lexa quickly sent a laser in the guards' direction, giving her and Shalimar a chance to duck behind a desk. Lexa kept them distracted while Shalimar crawled under the desk to get behind the guards that were advancing around the room toward Lexa. Rising to her feet, Shalimar quickly let loose a series of kicks and punches, knocking two of the guards to their knees before the others even realized she was there. Two of the four remaining guards swiveled to face her.

"Shal! Eyes!"

Shalimar recognized Lexa's command and threw and arm over eyes just as Lexa sparked her hands together to create a brilliant white flash. The guards, temporarily blinded, were shocked into stillness. When they were able to see again, they only saw the blonde chick, who was already attacking. The women took advantage of their confusion, sending arcing kicks and punches to the guards' heads as fast as they could. Five of the men fell unconscious into heaps on the floor, but one of the guards fled the room, stumbling. Shalimar made a move to follow him, but then thought better of it. "The others will figure it out as fast as he could warn them. Let's get Jesse."

Lexa returned to visibility as she moved over to the wall of security camera monitors. "He's in holding cell 2."

"I'm on it. You stay here and keep an eye out. We're going to have company soon." Shalimar dashed down the corridor. Finally reaching the right room, she heard voices from inside.

"You sick bastard."

"Now, now. No name calling. You know, I'm supposed to interrogate you, but I can't really think of any reason to. I mean, I already know who you work for. I know that your precious Sanctuary was destroyed, and we've got Adam. You've got nothing. So I don't really need you."

Shalimar recognized the voices as Jesse and Noah's. She frantically tried the door handle, but stopped when she saw that the door was made of reinforced steel and had an electric control panel on the side. There was no way she could forcer her way through the door. Patting her pockets, she searched for anything to help her open the door. Reaching into her back pocket, she found the security card that she had pulled off the first guard. Hoping for the best, she ran the card through the control panel. She was in luck. The panel beeped and released the lock on the door. Shalimar pushed the door open, just as she heard something that made her blood run cold: the telltale metallic click of a gun's hammer being pulled back.

Shalimar accelerated her movements. She burst into the room, sending a forceful roundhouse kick into the side of Noah's head. The man stumbled to the ground pulling the trigger as he did so. Both Shalimar and Jesse winced when they heard the gunshot, Jesse more so because the bullet embedded itself in his right arm. _Damn, the other arm. In the bone, too. That'll take a full minute to repair._

Down on the floor, Noah crawled to his feet, the gun still in his hand. He swung around, aiming for the intruder. Shalimar was quicker. She threw a couple of targeted punches and the elder Kilmartin was down on the floor again, this time unconscious.

Shalimar moved behind Jesse, working at the bonds that held him to the chair. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, fine. Did you find Adam?"

"Yeah, Brennan's got him; should be bringing him down from the lab any minute. Lexa's in the office. We've got to move. We'll have company soon."

Once Shalimar finally freed the straps that bound Jesse to the chair, he stood quickly, shaking his limbs to get the feeling back into them, wincing when he flexed his right arm. "Damn."

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. As soon as Brennan short circuits this governor, I'll be fine." Jesse stepped over his father's prone body to the table in the corner. He picked up his ring and slid it back onto place. Squatting, he picked up and examined the remains of the detonator box. After a couple of seconds, he tossed it aside. "It's dead," he said, straightening up and heading for the door with Shalimar.

"We'll just have to make it without the bombs as distractions."

"No. I may not have been in the field for a while, but I'm not that rusty. Katie," he called over his comring.

"Jesse, you're okay! I got worried for a bit when your signal disappeared. What happened?"

"They took my ring, but I've got it back. Listen, I need you to activate the remote signal controls for the explosives. Mine are toast."

"Got it."

"Be ready to blow them when I tell you." Jesse closed the channel with Katie as he and Shalimar ran out of the hallway and into the office.

More than half a dozen security personnel entered the room at almost the same time. Lexa engaged two of the guards, and Shalimar attacked four of them herself. Two more went for Jesse, who, injured and lacking his mutant powers, spent as much time avoiding attacks as he did making them. The three mutants managed to hold their own for a while, but just as Lexa downed two guards with laser blasts and Shalimar knocked two unconscious, the could see more guards dashing towards the security office.

"Damn," Lexa grunted as she delivered a kick to a third person, a woman this time. "This is half the security force. Jesse?"

"On it," he said, blocking a punch with his left arm and then kicking his attacker away with a foot to the solar plexus. "Katie, detonate alpha!"

For a second, it seemed as if nothing would happen. But then everyone in the room was thrown to the ground as an explosion ripped through the building.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Jesse, Shalimar and Lexa were the first to recover, as they had been expecting the explosion. Taking advantage of that fact, they felt their way out of the darkened room and sprinted away.

"Brennan! Time to go. Half the guards are out of position. You shouldn't have too much trouble. Meet us in the open room. Jesse's got a governor. We'll need you to disable it." Shalimar shouted into her ring as they hurried down the hall, slowed down by the fact that what few lights there were had been knocked out by the blast.

"Make it quick. The lights'll be back in less than a minute."

Brennan's voice was barely heard over the din of the confusion and falling debris. "We're on our way."

* * *

After he had answered Shalimar, Brennan helped Adam to his feet. Brennan had managed to keep his balance when the building rocked, but Adam had fallen to one knee. "That must have been the charge Jesse planted on the generator. Come on. Let's get out of here."

The lights were still out, and the hallway was pitch black, as there were no windows anywhere to let in moonlight or starlight. Finally, Adam managed to regain his balance. "Which way?"

"I think it's this way." Brennan placed his right hand on the wall and felt his way along. He felt Adam's hand on the back of his shirt and was grateful the other man was following.

In the dark, the pair was uncertain of how far they had traveled. After a few moments and a few turns, Brennan stopped. "I think we've gone too far. We should turn around. What do you think?"

"Don't ask me. I've never had a very good sense of direction. Besides, I've been _inside_ that room for the past couple of weeks. But I'll trust you. Let's go back."

Before they turned around, however, the emergency generator kicked in.

"Thank goodness," was Adam's reaction.

"Jesus."

Adam looked up at Brennan, surprised by the word and his tone of voice. "What is it?"

"Look." Brennan pointed ahead of them.

They had indeed gone too far down the hall. So far, in fact, that they had passed the exit onto the main corridor and continued down the left side of the hallway, all the way into the Creator's lab. When the lights had flickered on, Brennan had gotten a look at the man who led the Dominion, who had obviously been surprised by the explosion.

The look of surprise was still present on the Creator's face. And it would be for all eternity. The man was dead.

Brennan moved in and crouched down beside the body. There were burns on his hair, face and body. He was lying on his back, his right leg tucked under his body. One arm was sprawled above his head while the other lay at his side.

Adam bent down on the other side. He trailed a finger along the side of the man's face, observing how the features almost matched his own. His hand reached the man's neck, feeling for a pulse he knew wasn't there. "He's dead," he said.

"I can see why. This panel shorted out and exploded when the power went out." Brennan fingered the now exposed wires. "This is really shoddy work. You'd think the Dominion could do better than this," he said, looking back to Adam, still on his knees by the Creator's body.

"Adam. He's not you, remember?" Brennan put a hand on Adam's shoulder. "And you're not him. Don't let your work become your obsession and have it end up killing you. You have a choice."

Adam put his hands on his knees and rose to his feet, still looking at the body on the floor. "Yeah. I can't help but wonder what he was like before his work consumed him. What do you think his name was?"

"We never get all the answers, Adam."

"You're right again. When did you become philosopher?"

"Like I said, a lot of stuff has happened since you've been gone. Let's go. Jesse's got a governor I've got to short out.

* * *

The three other mutants had managed to escape the guards in the office when the lights went out. But it was only temporary. When the lights came back on, and they saw which direction their quarry had taken, those guards were hot on their heels. Complicating matters was the arrival of another half dozen security personnel.

Jesse realized their predicament a hair faster than the other two. "We're going to have to either split up or find someplace to hide until Brennan gets here," he said as the three of them rounded a corner, giving them a 10 second respite. There was no way they could lead them on a chase through the building; they didn't know the layout well enough.

"How about both," Lexa suggested quickly. "Confuse them." She and Jesse looked to Shalimar quickly.

"Deal," Shalimar said. "But stay close to the room. We leave as soon as Brennan and Adam show."

They broke apart then, as the guards caught up with them. Shalimar went left, dashing down side corridor. Jesse went right, back toward the open room. Lexa went straight down another hallway. As predicted, the guards split up.

Shalimar easily outran the guards that chose to pursue her. They followed her as she wove her way through the area. She took several turns, stopping occasionally to tease them, have fun with them. Only once did she slow for another reason, and that was to quickly dispatch a hapless guard who was still at his post along her route. She took a left turn, an idea forming. As soon as she managed to get out of sight of her pursuers, she leapt upward against the walls, scaling them until she reached the ceiling. When she got there, she found it was narrow enough that she could lie against the ceiling, her body eagle spread, her arms and legs tight against the walls, supporting her weight. She watched as the guards ran past below her. The ceiling was high enough that they didn't even notice her. _What idiots. Hit the brakes, they fly right by. _When the last one passed, she silently dropped down and returned the way she had come.

Jesse ran back toward the main, open room where he had hid earlier. The boxes had been restacked, but the tarp was no longer there. _Well, I guess they _do_ learn,_ he thought. He turned back to the corridor. He would have to find a place to hide. Without his mutant powers, he was vulnerable. Plus he was injured to boot. He quickly scanned the room, and found a place to conceal himself just as guards came up behind him. Damn. The hiding place would have to wait. Darting to his left, away from the hiding place, he led the guards back into the hallway. Hoping nothing else in the building had been changed and that he still remembered the blueprints from before, he led the men on a chase through the hallways and a series of room. He was rewarded when he found a second entrance in a room, and managed to lose his pursuers there, locking the door from the outside behind him and locking them inside. Then he ran back to the main room, hoping the hiding place was still available, or better yet, Brennan and Adam were there.

Lexa didn't have as much luck as she wanted with the guards that followed her. Thirty feet after they had parted ways, her hallway dead-ended. Turning, she could see at least seven guards headed her way. In a flash of light, she used her powers to become invisible, bending the light around her. The guards slowed when the saw her disappear, but did not stop. Pushing off against the wall behind her, Lexa charged head on, invisible, into the throng of security personnel. She avoided as many of them as possible, but they were packed densely enough that she had to fight her way through a couple of them. Her invisibility gave her an advantage, but a couple of them managed to graze her with their hands as they haphazardly swung out at their attacker. She retraced her steps and caught a glimpse of Jesse darting down a hallway, guards in pursuit. Jesse was without mutant powers and injured. He would be avoiding confrontation as much as possible. He was leading his guards somewhere. Looking back at the guards who were following her, who had guessed her direction from the little contact they had made, she made herself visible. The guards spotted her. As soon as they did, she darted down the corridor, chasing Jesse and his contingent. They followed her down halls, and into a room, where she quickly made herself invisible as she encountered the guards who had been following Jesse. She waited until all but one of those that had been following her entered the room; the last one hung back in the doorway. Then Lexa swung the door shut and blasted the control box on the side of the door, locking them inside. The lone guard who had hung back was surprised, and Lexa quickly laid the short man out with a kick to the head before returning back to the main room to meet the others.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Jesse arrived in the main room to find absolutely no one there. He cradled his right arm; all the running had jarred it. It was eerily quiet, the majority of the guards having left their posts to pursue the intruders. But one remained. A few seconds after he entered the room, a lone guard entered the room from the far side, and Jesse found himself in a wide-open space, with no place to hide.

Both he and the guard froze. Their eyes met across the room. For Jesse, the world seemed to move in slow motion. Without his ability to mass or phase, and without something for cover, he was entirely vulnerable. He watched as the guard at the other end saw him, recognized him as an intruder, and reached for his sidearm. Jesse stilled, waiting for the inevitable bullet, or laser depending on the type of weapon the guard preferred, to penetrate his body.

But it never came. Just as the man finished aiming his weapon, as series of blue arcs came from above, like one of Jove's own thunderbolts. The guard's body shuddered, jerked, and fell to the ground. Jesse didn't react for a moment, wondering if the bullet had hit him and he just didn't feel it. When that moment passed, Jesse looked up to the third floor catwalk and saw Brennan's grinning face. Standing beside him was Adam.

"I figured you could use a little help."

Jesse let loose the breath he had been involuntarily holding. "Well, better late than never. Adam," he said by way of acknowledgement.

Adam returned the greeting, his smile tight as well. His expression changed to one of concern when he saw the blood trailing down Jesse's arms and on his face. "Jesse. Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just as soon as Brennan gets down here and zaps this thing." He pointed to the back of his neck.

"On my way, brother." Brennan moved to his left, Adam at his heels, heading for the staircase.

"What did Jesse mean he'd be fine as soon as you disabled the governor?"

Brennan looked at Adam as he ushered him around a corner on the staircase. "Jesse can heal himself and other people."

Adam stopped suddenly on the stairs, in mid-step. "What?"

Brennan pushed him. "Keep going! One of your experiments caused Jesse's powers to have a growth spurt, and he developed the ability to heal. That's what fixed his genetic structure, not one of your tests."

Adam grabbed a rail to swing himself around a corner. "And he fixed Lexa's structure, too? That's what she meant when she said her expiry date wasn't a problem."

"Bingo. He fixed mine and Shalimar's too. Now I have to get down there and disable the governor so Jesse can take care of himself. Now, come on. Let's get out of here."

* * *

Jesse watched Adam and Brennan head for the staircase and dashed over to meet them. He looked around for Shalimar and Lexa, hoping they had been as lucky as he with the guards. He saw Shalimar entering the room from the south and west, respectively, and gave a sigh of relief that she was successful in dodging her pursuers.

Shalimar trotted into the main room where she was to meet the others. The guards that had followed her would be distracted by her disappearance for a while, but that wouldn't last forever. Eventually they'd figure out that she had ditched them and would spread out to look for her and the others. She hoped that Brennan had gotten Adam downstairs. When she had found out that he was still alive she had felt elation along with anger. Then when they had found him after Lexa had been captured, it had angered her to see Adam so absorbed in his work. He was obsessed with his 'life's work,' and only cared about what the Dominion was doing because it interfered with his work. She had been close to Adam for years. He was a father to her. For that, she would give him the benefit of the doubt. But if he didn't show his allegiance soon, she would have to let him go, no matter how much it hurt.

Shalimar was jolted out of her reflection when she noticed the familiar scent of electrified air that came whenever Brennan used his powers. She picked up the pace a bit, praying that everyone was okay.

She relaxed somewhat when she saw Jesse was still standing. On the third floor, she saw Brennan and Adam headed for the stairs. Across the room from Jesse, a guard was lying on the floor, still twitching from the residual shocks.

Though the sight of the disabled guard eased her tension, her feral senses were still on alert when they detected something else. More specifically, someone else. Her eyes darted around, finally finding the intruder. The man was of average height and build. He was wearing and expensive suit, which made him stand out from the guards, who wore cheap military-like jumpsuits. His dirty blonde hair was shorn close to his head and wire-rimmed glasses obscured his eyes. What disturbed her, though, was the fact that the man was walking deliberately and sternly out of the shadows, a weapon in one hand, pointed squarely at Jesse's back.

"Jesse! Look out!" Shalimar shouted. She charged toward the man, wanting to believe that she could cross the room before the man could fire. Jesse couldn't protect himself without his powers. Brennan was on the staircase – he couldn't see what was happening, and she was too far away. There was nothing she could do. Jesse was going to die.

Realizing he'd been spotted, the man only picked up speed and intensity, his determination obvious. "Damn you, Jesse! He's dead! You've ruined it all!" he shouted.

Jesse had turned the moment he had heard Shalimar's warning. His eyes settled on the man hurtling toward him. _Not again._ His 20/10 vision could see the man's finger tightening on the trigger. Jesse again braced for an impact he was helpless to prevent.

And again it didn't come. A half second after he realized the trigger was being pulled, a blaze of white light entered his peripheral vision, striking the attacker hard in the back. The man fell forward, his momentum sprawling the man face first at Jesse's feet.

Jesse stood stunned as Shalimar came up to his side and Brennan and Adam approached him from behind.

"Are you okay, man?"

Jesse blinked and shook his head. "Yeah." He looked up to find the source of the light that had saved his life. Standing across the room, revealed by the falling man's body, was Lexa. He stepped toward her; she did the same, moving until they were standing in front of each other.

"You okay?"

Jesse reached a hand up to stroke her cheek. "Yeah, thanks to you. Are you okay?"

She nodded, and leaned into him, comforting herself with his strength and scent. She had been terrified when she came out into the room to see a strange man charging toward Jesse, his intentions clearly murderous. She reached an arm around his waist, and froze when she heard his sharp intake of breath. Pulling back a little, she noticed for the first time the extent of his injuries. She immediately became concerned.

Jesse saw her expression change. He gave a small smile and dropped a quick but intense kiss on her lips before she could say anything. Then he turned to face Brennan. "Would you be so kind?"

Brennan put a hand on Jesse's neck and with his other hand sent enough of a charge to the subdermal governor to disable it. Jesse flinched as he felt the metal wires withdrawing.

Adam watched the exchange, but his mind was still on the interaction between Jesse and Lexa he had just witnessed. He had seen Jesse's concern for Lexa when they had worked together to remove her implant. But he was surprised to see Lexa showing open affection for Jesse. In all the time he'd known Lexa, he'd never known her to act like that with anyone other than her brother. Now it seemed as if she actively and knowingly engaging in a relationship. Not to mention the increased physical contact he was noticing between Shalimar and Brennan. He had been away for too long. At one time, he considered these young men and women to be his children and yet he was completely out of touch with them.

Adam's reverie was interrupted by what Jesse did next. As he watched, his one-time protégé repeatedly massed and phased his entire body – except for his right arm. Adam stared amazed as the cuts on Jesse's face disappeared, and the wound on his left arm cauterized itself.

"That'll have to do for now," Jesse said moments later. "The right arm will have to wait until I get the bullet out, and we still need to get out of here."

"Jesse…that was amazing control."

Jesse cracked a small smile. "Glad you approve. I've been working on a lot of things while you were gone." He was grateful and happy to see that Adam had shown some semblance of his former self. But like Brennan, Jesse still felt out of sorts around Adam. It would take time for their relationship to recover. He looked down to the body on the floor, then reached down to check for a pulse. "He's dead."

"Damn. I've been working on making my shots less lethal. Guess I need to practice. He knew you, Jesse. Who was he? What did he mean 'he's dead'?"

Jesse stood up and rolled the body over with his foot. "Don't be too sorry, Lex." He reached for and squeezed her hand. "This sorry excuse for a human is none other than Noah Kilmartin."

Lexa was taken aback. The first time she meets Jesse's father and she kills the man. But knowing what she did about him, and watching Jesse's reaction, she supposed she shouldn't feel guilty about it.

"But who's dead? I didn't get that part."

Brennan rubbed the back of his head. "My guess is he's talking about the Creator. When the power went out his control panel shorted out and exploded in his face."

Jesse was silent for a moment. "That explains why he came after me. The Creator was supposed to be his key to a power position." He sighed. "Now come on, we've got to get out of here before those guards get loose."

"I locked my guards in with yours Jesse, so, although they're all pretty stupid, there are twice as many of them there to think of a solution." She grabbed Jesse's arm, and started to usher them all out the way they had come.

"Agreed. We'd better pick up the pace. I can hear at least a dozen people running in from that hallway."

They all instinctually glanced down the hallway Shalimar had indicated. Already they could see several guards dashing toward them. The glance lasted only a fraction of a second, then all five of them were sprinting toward the exit. They took the turns quickly, every second counting. Brennan and Lexa paused occasionally, sending light and electricity down the hall at the faster pursuers who had managed to get close. When they passed a staircase, Jesse called out to Shalimar, who was leading the retreat. He redirected her to a door, and they quickly moved through it. It led to a tunnel. The same tunnel through which Jesse had entered the building. Once they were through, he could detonate the C-4 on the staircase outside the tunnel, protecting their escape.

"Katie, detonate bravo in 10 seconds," he shouted into his ring as he ran with the others down the tunnel. "Give it one minute, then blow the rest." They came to the vertical ladder. "Go, go."

They clambered up the stairs. Jesse was the last one out, and he rolled out of the hatch just as an explosion rattled the hatch shut behind him. He scrambled to his feet with Brennan's help. They dashed through the woods, heedless of security cameras. They wouldn't matter.

Seconds after they cleared the woods, there was another explosion, this one permeating the entire building. Glass blew out of the windows above ground. There were at least three secondary explosions, and the center of the building caved in on itself. Fire laced out the windows. The rumble of falling debris echoed in their ears.

When they stopped to catch their breath, Brennan turned and looked at the burning building. "Damn, Jess. How much C-4 did you use?"

"Not much. But what I did use was rather potent."

"I'll say." Shalimar gave him a good-natured poke. "You know, this puts me in mind of another explosion from a couple weeks ago."

Brennan straightened up. "Well, at least this time we have everyone. And we have transportation," he said proudly.


	33. Chapter 33

**AN: **Well, it's the end of the journey…the final chapter. I want to thank all of you who reviewed! You kept me going and gave me ideas on how to make things happen. As far as more stories, I've got a few ideas, but none screaming at me to get written, like this story did (yet!).

**Chapter 33**

They had ridden home in relative silence. Lexa had begun fussing over Jesse almost as soon as they were on the highway. He however, grabbed the car's first aid kit and used the tweezers to remove the bullet from his right arm. Then took another couple minutes to repair more of his injuries, which drained enough of his energy for him to fall asleep easily, saving him from Lexa's diatribe. By they time they arrived back at Sanctuary, it was after 2 am. Katie had left a note saying she had gone back to the mansion. Brennan told Adam that he could have his bed, and the five of them went to sleep. Their bodies needed to recover from the adrenaline rushes. The aftermath of the night's events could wait until the next day.

* * *

The next morning – well, almost afternoon – Adam woke before the others and decided to take a self-led tour of the new sanctuary. It had been more than a year since he had been here, and his visits at the Rock had been all too infrequent. He'd just about forgotten about this place over the past year. The location seemed ideal – anyone who knew Jesse knew that he didn't care for his father and would never go home. But Jesse had done it for the team, knowing that they needed a new refuge or else risk falling apart. They had managed to rebuild Sanctuary in only a couple of weeks. And Jesse had solved and embraced a problem that had been haunting him for years. Brennan had been right. He'd been focusing on the preciseness of genetics rather than the volatility of human emotion. Had he done so, and opened up to the others sooner, their fresh eyes and opinions might have led him to a cure sooner. How many new mutants had died because he had been so focused on his own work. He sighed. He couldn't save the ones that had already died, but he was going to do his damnedest to save the rest.

Strolling into the kitchen area Adam encountered one of the objects of his contemplation, mid conversation with someone else.

"So he's dead?"

"Yeah. Are you okay?"

"I don't know. It'll take a while. But given what he did and was planning to do, I don't think the grieving will last very long."

"You knew him a lot better than I did, it'll take longer for you, but I'll be here for you."

"Thanks. You know, speaking of death, we should do something about yours. I talked to David the other day. It shouldn't be too much of a problem to reverse the death certificate."

"So it's David now, huh? Anything your older brother should know?" Jesse teased his sister. His teasing grin faded and seriousness returned. "No, no…I think we should leave things as they are. It's actually proved to be helpful. If anyone does a search on me, they won't find much. Publicly, especially, I think we should leave things as they are. It will help protect Sanctuary's location."

"I can have David find a way to get you your half of the assets. They're rightfully yours."

"If you want. But either way, I know you have my best interests at heart."

There was silence for a moment, and Adam decided it was time to make his presence known. "Hey Jesse," he said, walking all the way into the room. "Is that real coffee?"

Jesse looked up from his conversation with a woman Adam didn't know. "Uh, yeah. Pot's on the counter, help yourself. Everything is pretty much arranged just like at the Rock."

Adam poured himself a cup of coffee. He lifted it to his lips to drink but then paused. "Did you make this?"

Jesse turned around in his seat. "Yeah, so?"

Adam put the cup down and reached for the cream and sugar. Jesse laughed. "It's not that strong!"

"No, no. Not if you're trying to kill an elephant." He finished stirring the coffee and moved over to the table. "Now, Jesse, I don't believe I've met your lovely friend here."

"Adam, this is my sister Katherine Kilmartin. Katie, this is Adam Kane."

"A pleasure, Adam. I've heard a lot about you."

"Nothing good, I'm afraid. I've been rather negligent this past year."

Katie shrugged. "True."

Adam chuckled. "Definitely your sister, Jesse. Honest and blunt. I'm sorry I never met you, Katie. Truth be told, I didn't even know you existed."

"That's understandable. I was born after you cured Jesse's leukemia. From what I understand you weren't able to keep tabs on my family afterward. Then, when Jesse came to live here, he never said anything about me."

Jesse's expression turned sad. "I'm sorry about that Katie. Maybe if I'd said something to someone, things might have turned out different, and we'd never have spent all those years apart."

"Forget it, Jess. We're together now, and that's what counts." Katie put an arm around Jesse's shoulder.

Adam watched the two siblings interact. Obviously Jesse and Katie shared a strong bond, despite the fact that they hadn't seen each other in so many years. Katie was remarkably like Jesse. Honest, forgiving and talented. And already a part of the team, her presence here in sanctuary seemed to indicate.

Adam cleared his throat. "So, Jesse. Looks like you guys got everything set up pretty well."

Jesse turned back to Adam, and his face brightened somewhat. "Yup. The Cave is almost fully operational, but there's still a lot to do."

"The Cave?"

Jesse shrugged. "The new nickname for this place. It seemed accurate and it kind of stuck."

"Hmm." He took a sip of coffee. "Jesse, I'm curious, how did your genetic structure evolve? If I remember my tests correctly, none of them seemed to have any effect."

"One word Adam: prosoletine."

"A growth hormone…"

"That's right. I cracked your files and found that one test increased my level of prosoletine. I was young enough at the time that it acted like a growth hormone, giving my abilities a little bit of a boost."

"Broke into my files, huh? I hear you also managed to create a back up for Sanctuary's entire system."

Jesse shrugged off the praise. He was actually glad that Adam seemed more interested in his achievements than the genetic information. It seemed Adam was returning to the Adam that he had first known when he came to Sanctuary – a father figure and a friend. "I spent a lot more time at home base during missions while you were gone, Adam. I had to use the time to do something."

Adam listened carefully. He had missed out on Jesse's accomplishments and experiences. What else had he missed out on with Shalimar? With Brennan? With Lexa? He grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl in the center of the table and took a bite. "Hey, Brennan and Shalimar…how long?"

Jesse smiled. "Only a couple of weeks, but I have to admit, I was expecting them to get together a lot sooner. The tension in the room when the two of them were together was just incredible."

Adam grinned. "I'll admit, too, that the thought of them being together crossed my mind a few times. But you and Lexa." He shook his head. "That I never saw coming. The two of you are so different."

"Well, as the old saying goes. Opposites attract. It must be true. I have the feeling that Lexa cared about Jesse a while before they actually got together last week. When I first met her a couple weeks ago, I could just tell. It's a woman thing."

"Oh, I'm sure." Jesse mocked his sister. But he was blushing happily at the thought that Lexa had cared for him for some time. "I really love her. I know she cares about me, and I hope that'll be enough for her to stay."

"Oh, I can guarantee that's enough," said a new voice.

Jesse looked up to see Lexa in the entryway of the kitchen. He stood up from his seat and glided to her side for a kiss. "Yeah?"

"Oh, yeah." Lexa sighed. His kiss still had the ability to make her body relax like nothing else. She would never tire of it. "So, what are you guys up to?"

"Nothing much. Just catching up."

"Ah." Lexa poured a cup of coffee and took a sip. She grimaced. "Jesse, you made the coffee again, didn't you? Katie, I thought we agreed never to let Jesse make the coffee. Ever again."

"Jesse made the coffee? Yeesh. I'll have tea." They looked to the entryway to see Shalimar entered the room, Brennan close behind.

Katie laughed. "So what's next, you guys?"

Brennan leaned against the counter. "Well, we've almost got this place fully taken care of. Right, Jess?"

"Yeah. There's just a little more to be done in medbay and the science lab, but all the essentials are in place."

"We still have to finish the hanger and refit a new Helix. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather fly somewhere than spend hours in those cramped cars." Shalimar stretched, her body responding to the memories of the confining spaces of a car.

Lexa sipped her coffee, now diluted with cream. "And we need to check on the mutant underground. We're going to have a lot of problems, now that the Creator's dead; the Dominion's going to be a mess. We'll probably get rogue scientists and operatives opening shop all over the place."

"And Jesse and I have to get started on finding a real cure for genetic instability. There's a lot of work for us to do."

"Us, Adam? You planning on sticking around?"

"Yeah, Brennan. I am. I made a mistake last time, not trusting you guys with the truth. It's a mistake I don't plan on making ever again."

"Deal. I'm going to hold you to it. What do you say we get started? Jess, you want to help me run through the database and get the network of contacts up and running again?"

"Sure." Jesse stood and moved with Brennan out the door.

The others soon followed suit, having finished their beverages. Adam watched as Lexa and Shalimar moved with Katie into the common room, toward the computer terminals to start work on getting the safehouses up and running again after their brief shutdown. To his left, Brennan had started up the metal staircase, Jesse on the floor just behind him. It almost seemed normal. Well, as normal as Mutant X could get.

His gaze was jerked back to the right when he heard Shalimar screech. "Brennan!"

Brennan paused on the stairs, but didn't come back down. "Yes?" he asked innocently.

"I told you I didn't want to see that poster!"

Lexa's voice quickly followed Shalimar's objection. "I'm on Shal's side with this, Brennan. I don't want to have to spend my down time in the common room staring at that bucket of bolts." Both Lexa and Shalimar had turned on their heels and headed back toward the staircase, eyes full of good-humored anger directed at the electrical elemental.

Jesse, hand on the rail, feet on the floor, knew what the girls were referring to and looked up at Brennan. "When did you have time to put that up?"

Brennan dusted his fingertips across his chest. "Magic. I'm not taking it down, either. It's a classic," he said arrogantly.

Adam watched as Shalimar, Lexa, Katie and Jesse all raised their eyebrows at him. The next second, he heard a brief shout and a thud as Brennan hit the floor. It took him a moment to realize what had happened. Jesse, hand still on the rail, had phased the staircase, sending Brennan to the ground below, where he had landed on his butt.

Jesse stepped over to Brennan and patted him on the shoulder. "Better play nice, Brennan. We've all got to live together."

"I guess you don't like it either."

"No," Jesse attempted to say seriously, but the smile on his face betrayed his amusement.

The others began laughing, and Adam joined them; even Brennan grudgingly smiled. It was nice to have some humor back. They still had a lot of work to do, but they would all do it together.

THE END


End file.
